Separation Anxiety
by cindy123
Summary: SUPERNATURAL: Sam's at college...Dean and Danny are having a hard time...Dean especially. Distraction leads to a hunt gone bad. Hurt Dean and Danny...some hurt Sam. Takes place between The Apple Doesn't Fall Far and Revenge, Not So Sweet. Three Bros.
1. Chapter 1

**I know...it's been forever! But, here I am with another Three Brothers story! Yay! This story takes place between The Apple Doesn't Fall Far and Revenge, Not So Sweet. Dean and Danny are not having an easy time being separated from Sam and it leads to a not so perfect hunt. We have some hurt Dean and Danny...a bit of hurt Sam thrown in for good measure. Oh yeah...we'll have John, Caleb and Joshua too. I'm thinking of tossing a bit of Bobby in there too...maybe. So...here we go!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own 'em (except Danny :D) No money is coming my way so don't ask for a loan!**

**Separation Anxiety**

Sam Winchester was happy…lonely, but still happy. He was in his Freshman year at Stanford and loving the freedom that came along with it. He loved the rigors of each day…classes during the day, heavy workouts in the afternoon and studying until midnight. He'd made some friends and hung out with them as often as he could, but they just didn't fill the void the absence of his family had created. Once the day was done and he was buried beneath his blankets, his thoughts turned to his family and how much he missed them. He knew they missed him too, but they couldn't possibly miss him as much as he missed them. Many times, after first coming to Stanford, he'd thought about throwing in the towel and running back home, but then he'd started thinking about the looks on their faces when he told them he'd quit. Winchesters don't quit, no matter how hard the journey becomes, they keep on trucking. So, Sam stayed in school and eventually settled into the life of a college student. He made his regular Thursday night call to Dean, who would, after much grumbling, pass the phone around to Daniel and John. Sam's call was always answered…until now.

Sam stared down at his cell phone, an uneasy frown upon his tired face. "What the hell?" he whispered to himself as he punched the speed dial for Dean's number again. The ringing continued until Dean's voice came on telling whomever to leave a message and Sam's frown deepened. "Uh…yeah…this is Sam. Where are you? Um…I guess you're busy so I'll try Danny's phone. Call me back," he said into the phone then pushed end call and punched Daniel's speed dial. When Daniels's phone went to voicemail, Sam began to get scared. He left a short message then called his father. When John's line had the same result, Sam began to panic. They never missed his call…never…so something had to be wrong. Dean had made it perfectly clear that no matter what they were doing, they would always be there to answer his weekly call, and until now they always had.

Sam sat for several minutes, staring at his phone, heart racing in his chest. What was he going to do? He had no idea if his family was still in The Dalles or if they had moved on. Were they on a new hunt? Sam took a deep breath, opened his phone and punched in another number. He waited, praying that this time his call would be answered. When it was, he nearly cried.

"Caleb? Have you talked to Dad?" Sam asked, voice shaky despite his efforts to remain calm. Sam held his breath as only silence met his ears. Finally, a sigh then his friend's hesitant voice sounded and Sam knew in an instant that everything was not okay.

"_Listen, Sam…they were on a new hunt and we've lost contact with them. We…"_

"Why didn't you call me? What the hell is going on!" Sam cried into the phone, eyes filling as fear gripped his heart.

"_You're daddy wouldn't want us to bother you and you know it. Josh and I are looking for them. They'll be okay, Sam."_

"That's bullsh*t, Caleb! My family is missing and you don't think you should bother me?" Sam snapped, the usually soft spoken young man's voice rising with each syllable.

"_Sam…"_

"Where did they go missing?"

"_Sam, no…we're handling it. You just stay where you are…go to your classes. I'll keep you posted."_

"Where, Caleb? This is my family…I need to know."

"_Sammy, you're dad will kill me…"_

"Just tell me, Caleb."

A heavy sigh then, _"I'll tell you, but you have to promise to stay at school. I don't need to be worrying about another Winchester. I'm sure everything is fine…that they're just where there's no phone service."_

"Caleb…"

"_I'm not telling you until you promise, half pint. And remember, you've never lied to me before so…"_

"Fine, I promise. Just tell me where they went."

"_Area 51…they went to Area 51. Or the general area to be specific."_

"In Nevada? Why?"

"_Cattle mutilations…missing civilians…"_

"They think it's aliens? Come on, Caleb."

"_Well, no…aliens don't exist, but there's something going on."_

"Thanks, Caleb."

"_Sam…I'm serious. You stay put. You promised…remember that."_

"I know. I will…just…please keep me informed."

"_I will, kiddo. Don't worry…Josh and I will find them."_

"Thanks, Caleb.

"_You bet…bye."_

"Bye." Sam flipped his phone shut then reached under his bed and pulled out his duffel bag. He went to his small dresser and pulled out a few shirts and jeans then stuffed them into the bag, covering the weapons he had stashed there. He unzipped a side pocket and removed a rolled up bundle of bills. Nodding, he replaced the bills, flung the duffel over his shoulder and stepped to the small desk at the head of his bed. He scrawled out a quick note to his roommate, laid it on his roommate's pillow then hurried out of his dorm room. "Sorry, Caleb, but I can't just sit here," he whispered as he left the dorms and hurried across campus, his destination? Area 51.

X x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

One Week Earlier

"Yeah…talk to you next week little brother…love you too," Dean said before flipping his phone shut and shoving it into his pocket.

"Sammy sounds tired," Daniel said as he looked up from where he was cleaning weapons to meet his younger brother's eyes.

"Well, if it were anybody but Sam I'd say it was from too much partying, but…you know," Dean said with a shake of his head. "The geek's been burning the midnight oil studying of all things."

Daniel smiled fondly as he envisioned his baby brother dutifully leaned over his desk while all the other Freshmen were attending parties or sneaking beer into their dorm rooms. "He wouldn't be our Sammy if he did anything but Dean. Maybe once he's been there awhile he'll loosen up a bit. I just hope he's getting enough rest…that he's not stretching himself too thin," he said with some concern.

"Yeah…but, knowing Sam…he's taking on way more than he needs to," Dean replied. "I just wish we didn't have to take this hunt. I'd really like to go see the nerd for a few days," he continued, his shoulders slumping as he dropped down on the edge of his bed.

Daniel watched his brother for a few moments, worry niggling at him at the sight of the normally upbeat young man sitting slumped over, elbows on knees, hands clasped nervously together. Dean hadn't been himself since the day they'd left Sam at Stanford. Daniel remembered that day like it was yesterday. The somber silence in the car as they'd driven away. The way Dean had picked at his food that night…the way he'd gotten beyond drunk. It wasn't like his younger brother at all and though things had gotten a little bit better, they were far from ideal. Daniel sighed as he stood from the table and moved to his own bed. He sat down and kicked off his boots then scooted back on the bed.

"Dean…as soon as we're done with this hunt we'll go see the squirt, okay? Now, what do you say we order pizza and stay in tonight. We can get some more research done then possibly head out tomorrow and search this sucker out…maybe we can even find his lair before Dad gets here in a few days," Daniel suggested.

Dean looked up and nodded. "Yeah…sure, that sounds good," Dean answered. "So, how long do you think it'll take to get rid of this sucker? We could maybe get to Palo Alto before the weekend?"

"Dean…you need to keep focused on the hunt."

"I know…but he sounds so tired. And maybe a little down…did he sound down to you?"

"Dean…"

"What? Don't you miss him? Aren't you worried about him too?"

"Of course I miss him! And yes, I'm worried about him. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about going to Palo Alto and dragging his scrawny ass back to wherever home may be at the moment, but I know I can't do that. Sam's an adult now and he needs this, Dean. He needs us to trust him, to give him a chance to prove that he can take care of himself. No matter how much it's killing us to let him be on his own, we have to let him do this," Daniel explained.

"This sucks butt," Dean grumbled.

"Yeah, it does, but hey…we've always got each other," Daniel replied, twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, kill me now," Dean mumbled. "You know what, Danny? You suck! I'm serious here and you're making jokes. I'm the one who makes jokes! Me…not you!"

"Then make 'em! This sad sack crap is not doing anybody any good…especially you! You slump around, you're not eating or sleeping properly," Daniel snapped. "Dean, I know this is hard…I really do, but you driving yourself crazy like this is not helping. You can't be distracted…not on a hunt."

Dean brushed his hand through his hair and sighed. "I know. I'm sorry…I just can't get used to Sammy not being around."

Daniel swung his legs over the edge of his bed and faced his brother. "I get it…and I feel the same way. Let's just concentrate on this hunt then we can go visit Sam. That sound like a plan?"

"Yeah…quick in, quick out then off to geek land," Dean said with a smirk.

Daniel smiled and nodded his head. "Piece of cake," he said in agreement.

The two hunters ordered their pizza and settled in for the night, both unaware of the danger that lie ahead.

**Okay, so what do you think? Keep going? Let me know.**

**Cindy**


	2. Chapter 2

**I know it's been forever since I posted chaper 1. While the ideas have been flowing for the other two stories I've been working on, it has been the opposite for this one. I just could not figure out how to proceed. I finally got a wee bit of inspiration and so now, I finally have a chapter two! I really hope it's worth the wait. So, I'll just let you all get to it then.**

**Cindy**

****

"Yeah, Dad…okay. Be careful," Daniel said before flipping his phone shut. He sat down on the edge of his bed and looked at all of the papers scattered across Dean's. The bathroom door opened and Dean emerged in a cloud of steam, hair wet and dripping onto his grey tee shirt.

"Did I hear you talking to somebody?" Dean asked as he pulled on his jeans then sat at the small table to put on his boots.

"Uh, yeah…Dad's not coming," Daniel answered absently as he flipped through pages of newspaper clippings.

Dean looked up and glanced at Daniel with confusion. "He's not coming? Why isn't he coming?" he asked.

Daniel shrugged as he glanced over at his brother. "Something came up Colorado. He's meeting a few other hunters there and won't be able to get here for at least a week," he answered.

"So…what do we do? Just leave town? Leave these folks to whatever's taking 'em?" Dean asked, huffing a bit when he received no response from his older brother. "Danny!" he shouted impatiently.

Daniel raised his eyes to meet his brother's. "What?" he asked.

"I asked you what we're supposed to do now? Pay attention!" Dean replied with annoyance.

"Oh…sorry, just lost in my thoughts I guess," Daniel said before setting the papers in his hands down. "Uh…Dad said to continue with the hunt and that he'd be here as soon as he can," he continued.

"Are you serious? Dad wants us to do the hunt without him? Like, the hunt hunt…not just research?" Dean asked suspiciously.

"Yeah…the real hunt. I told him what we'd found…that the animal mutilations were just local teenagers using the disappearances and subsequent findings of cut up bodies to scare the townspeople into thinking it was aliens. That we've narrowed down the search area to an abandoned complex of old army facilities and that we believe we're dealing with a spirit of some sort. He thinks we can handle it on our own," Daniel replied.

"Huh. So…our first solo hunt. Cool," Dean said as he once again worked on putting on his boots.

"I don't know, Dean. I think maybe we should wait for Dad and…"

"Whoa, whoa…what are talking about, Danny? Why wait for Dad? We've been waiting for this for a long time!" Dean cried. "Our first hunt without Dad….come on, Danny!"

"I know, but…well, we've both been a little distracted and I don't know if it's a good idea for us to jump into this one by ourselves. We could have missed something important and that could get us hurt…or killed," Daniel explained.

"Distracted? Maybe you've been distracted. I haven't been distracted. Distracted by what?"

"Sammy. Dean, we both know our heads haven't been completely in the hunt. We've both been worried about and missing Sam. You said it last night, that you want to get this hunt over with fast so we can go see the squirt. That's not the best mindset to have on a hunt…and I'm just as guilty. When I should be thinking about the particulars of the evidence we've pulled together, I find myself thinking about Sam instead. I just don't know if we should move forward without backup," Daniel said.

Dean leaned back in his chair and brushed his hand over his face. "Yeah, okay…we have been a little distracted, but what are we supposed to do? Did you tell Dad that maybe we should wait?" he asked.

"No…I didn't want him to…well, you know Dad," Daniel answered.

"Yeah, I know. Okay, so…what if we call Caleb? We can see if he's anywhere near here," Dean suggested.

"So, you'd be willing to give up the solo hunt and have Caleb or someone else help?" Daniel asked.

"Well…yeah. I mean, I've been dying for the day when Dad lets us do a hunt without him, but…we gotta think of Sammy, besides, the more help we have the quicker we get done and the sooner we can get to Palo Alto," Dean answered.

"Okay, so…I'm gonna call Caleb. You sure that's what you want?" Daniel said.

"Yeah, call him," Dean replied.

"Okay."

sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn

"Okay, Danny boy…we'll be there later tonight. You two sit tight and don't do anything until Josh and I get there," Caleb said into his phone. He listened for a few moments and smiled as he shook his head. "Yeah, I understand you and Dean want to see half pint…just hang out until we get there. We're leaving now," he said before ending the call.

"So, where we headed now?" Joshua asked as he stuffed clothes into a large duffel bag.

"Area 51…Danny and Dean have a hunt they need help with," Caleb answered as he too began to pack his stuff into his bag.

"Where's John?"

"He was supposed to be there today, but he had another hunt come up in Colorado. He's gonna be delayed."

"And he just told the kids to take care of their hunt by themselves?" Joshua asked suspiciously.

"Well, the kids are in their twenties, Josh. They've been hunting since before they were teenagers," Caleb answered.

"Okay…then why do they need us?"

"Well, Danny said they've been distracted with Sammy being away and all. They're still not comfortable without him being in their care. They don't want anything to happen that's gonna keep them away from him."

"Yeah…well, can't blame them there. What, with everything that's happened the past few years. I'm just a bit surprised is all. Not that Danny would call for help, but that Dean would let him. That kid's been itching for a solo hunt for he and Danny for ages now."

"Yeah, but you know he's always gonna think of half pint first. They're going to see him as soon as this hunt is finished."

"Half pint," Joshua said with an amused grin. "You do remember the last time we saw the kid, right? I'd say by now he's probably taller than you and his brothers…that kid's growing like a redwood," he added.

"Yeah, well…he'll always be half pint to me no matter how big he gets. I'll always see him as that chubby little kid who was always sticking his sticky fingers all over me," Caleb said with an affectionate grin.

"I'm sure he'd like to hear that. He's grown into a pretty damned good hunter," Joshua said.

"Yeah, I know he has, but he's still the baby of our little clan and he always will be the baby," Caleb said.

"Well, just don't let him hear you say that, okay?"

Caleb grinned as he finished packing his gear. Fifteen minutes after Daniel's call, the two hunters were on the road and heading west to Nevada.

sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn

Daniel stood and looked over at Dean. "They're on their way. They'll be later tonight. Caleb said to sit tight and wait for them so I guess we have the day," Daniel said.

"Okay…so, what do you want to do? More research?" Dean replied.

"First I want to get a shower then breakfast. We'll figure the rest out after that," Daniel answered as he headed for the bathroom.

Dean sat down on his bed and rested back against the headboard. He swung his legs up onto the bed and reached for the television remote then switched the television on. He flipped through the channels, but then something on the local channel caught his attention. He sat up as a breaking news report played out on the screen. The broadcast ended and Dean shut the television off. He jumped up from the bed and hurried to the bathroom door. He gave a quick knock then opened the door part way.

"Danny…we've got a problem. Hurry up and finish!" he called over the sound of the shower.

"What! What's going on?" Daniel called back.

"Just hurry up…there's been another disappearance!"

"Sh*t!" Daniel exclaimed as Dean backed out of the small room and shut the door.

Five minutes later Daniel emerged from the bathroom and immediately began to dress. "So," he began as he pulled a tee shirt over his head. "Tell me what's going on."

"Okay…so, a kid disappeared last night. He and some of his friends were messing around just outside the restricted area, but this kid was feeling adventurous or something. He snuck through the fence, but none of his friends would follow so he took off. He hasn't been seen since," Dean explained.

"How'd you hear all that?" Daniel asked.

"News broadcast. They were interviewing his friends," Dean answered.

"So, how old was this kid?"

Dean sighed and looked at his brother. "Sammy's age," he answered.

Daniel glanced at Dean sympathetically and nodded. "Okay, so around seventeen or eighteen. No real pattern still. We have a middle aged retired male military officer, a thirty year old female school teacher, a sixty year old male bank manager and now an eighteen year old kid. The only thing they all seem to have in common is that they got too close to Area 51," he said.

"What do we do, Danny? This kid is in big trouble if he's been taken by whatever took the others. We don't have a lot of time here," Dean asked urgently.

"I don't know. Caleb said to stay put…"

"That was when there were no new victims. Now we have a possible victim that we could actually save," Dean interrupted.

"I know, Dean! Just give me a minute to think!" Daniel cried as he paced at the end of the beds.

Dean watched his brother pace for several minutes then the older hunter reached for his phone on the table where he'd set it down earlier. He punched a button in his speed dial and waited for the call to be answered. "Caleb," he said as the call was picked up. "There's been another disappearance." Daniel listened then shook his head at something Dean couldn't hear. "No, Caleb. We have to move. We can save this kid before he ends up like the others, but not if we wait for you and Josh!"

Dean stepped up and intently watched his brother's face. Daniel frowned and shook his head again. "I know, Caleb, but if this kid dies and we could have prevented it…yeah, I know, but…Caleb…he's Sammy's age…he's just a kid and we have to do something! I'll call you later, just get here as soon as you can!" Daniel flipped his phone shut and looked up at Dean. "Caleb's pissed, but we can't wait. We can't let this kid be butchered like the others," he said as he continued to dress.

"I agree…you don't have to convince me, Danny," Dean said.

"Okay then…let's get the car loaded and go find this kid."

sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn sn

Daniel held his finger to his lips as he turned when Dean came up behind him. Dean nodded and hunkered down behind his brother. There were still police mingling about and neither of the young hunters wanted to be caught before they'd even begun to look for the missing teenager. They crawled through the foliage, their years of training allowing them to make the journey around the barricade that had been erected in complete silence. They reached several vehicles that were parked nearby and snuck between them. All they had to do was get past the taped off 'crime scene' then they would be home free. They knew the police wouldn't be searching as far as the abandoned army complex…at least not yet so they needed to move fast if they were to have any chance of saving the missing teenager before the cops did make it that far.

The two brothers reached the end of the cars and both turned and sat, backs against the black and white police vehicle. Daniel peered around the end of the car to see what the police were up to. He motioned for Dean to move around him when he saw that the officers had moved to the far corner of the taped off section then followed as the younger brother made a break for the trees several feet away. Once they were in the cover of the trees they began to run in the direction of the complex. Finally, after more than half an hour they reached the concrete buildings that made up the abandoned complex. They found a metal door and made quick work of the padlock then slipped inside the weed infested building.

Daniel stopped and pulled a map of the complex from his duffel bag. He dropped down into a crouch and laid the map on the dirty floor. Dean pulled out his flashlight and shone it on the map while Daniel figured out just where they were and where they needed to go. Daniel ran his finger along the map then stopped when he reached a certain point. He lifted his head and glanced down the hall to his right then turned and looked left. "This way," he said as he folded the map and stood. Dean followed him as he went down the hall to the left. They stopped several times to look at the map then moved on. Finally, Daniel stopped and turned to look at Dean.

"I think this is it," Daniel said as he dipped his head toward the door they stood before.

"Okay, let's get in there and find this kid then," Dean said.

Daniel nodded then tried the doorknob and sighed when he found the door was locked. He pulled a small pouch from his pocket and opened it to reveal a lock pick kit. He kneeled down and began to work on the lock. Within a few moments he had the door unlocked. He smiled up at Dean when he turned the knob and the door inched open. Without warning, Dean was airborne, the young hunter flying backward before hitting the wall twenty feet down the hallway. He crumpled to the floor and didn't move.

"Dean!" Daniel shouted in surprise. He leapt to his feet and began to run toward his fallen brother, but before he could reach Dean, he was lifted from his feet and thrown back the way he'd come from. He hit the floor hard, his vision darkening even as he rolled onto his stomach. He pushed up to his hands and knees and began to crawl toward Dean. He was dizzy, but all that mattered to him at the moment was getting to his brother. He made it just a few feet before he was once again lifted up and thrown backward. He was out cold the second his head hit the floor.

****

**Uh-oh...Dean and Danny are in trouble! Of course, we already knew that since Sam couldn't reach them, but...well, you know. Anyway, hope you liked it. I'll try to get the next chapter done more quickly, but no promises. I'll be working on the next chapter of And the Deal Goes On next. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes, I know. It's been forever! I'm sorry. I really, really am! My muse was on an extended vacation, but has returned and hopefully will stick around for a bit this time! Anyway, I'll let you get to it. Thanks for the reviews and for sticking with me on this...please still be here! **

**Cindy**

**Chapter 3**

Sam looked around as he climbed out of the sedan that had been his ride for the past 300 miles. He turned and leaned over, his hazel eyes gazing across the front seat at the man behind the wheel. "Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it," he said with a small smile.

"You're welcome, Sam. Good luck," the man said.

Sam shut the passenger door and stepped to the side of the road and watched as the man turned his car around and headed back the way he came. Sam turned and looked at the small town that lay before him. It was more a blip than anything, a town you'd miss if you blinked as you drove by on none other than the Extraterrestrial Highway. Sam shook his head as his gaze settled on the highway sign. He chuckled before his eyes drifted back toward town. He sighed as he began to walk down the side of the highway toward the small town. Another sign proclaimed the population to be: Humans 98 Aliens? and Sam had to chuckle again. The proximity to Area 51 had leant the town a certain celebrity, the self proclaimed UFO Capitol and Sam wasn't surprised to see many out of state cars parked around the town.

Sam continued walking until he came to the Little A'Le'Inn Restaurant, Bar and Motel. If Dean and Daniel had been staying in this town, which Sam was certain they would be with it being the closest town to Area 51, then they would have been staying at this small motel. He stepped around the building hoping to see the Impala parked there and that Caleb had been right in thinking that maybe the phone reception was poor out here. He didn't see the Impala, but he did see Caleb's SUV sitting in front of one of the few motel rooms. As he was easing his way toward the room, the door opened and he had to act quickly to avoid being seen by his friends. He dropped down beside a car and carefully peered over the top. Caleb and Joshua were silent as they closed the motel room door and got into Caleb's rig. Caleb backed out of the parking space and maneuvered the black vehicle onto the highway then sped away.

Sam crept from his hiding place and made his way to the door Caleb and Joshua had come out from. He made quick work of the lock and slipped silently into the room. He looked around at the maps and pictures that took up every available space. Sam moved toward the desk where stacks of notes lay. He sat down and immediately began sorting through the notes. He chuckled at the thought of Caleb and Joshua trying to decipher the chicken scratch that covered the pages. He'd learned to read his brother's writing over the years, but knew it would be nearly impossible for anybody else to pick up even the remotest of ideas. Caleb and Joshua were most likely pulling their hair out by now. Sam pulled up his chair, shook his head and began to read. He became so engaged in Daniel's notes that he didn't hear the sound of a vehicle pulling up outside. It wasn't until a key was inserted in the lock that Sam realized he was caught. He jumped to his feet just as the door opened and Caleb stepped into the room, followed closely by Joshua. Caleb's eyes narrowed when they landed on the frozen hunter.

"Son of a bitch! What the hell are you doing here, Sam!" Caleb snapped as he banged the door shut after Joshua was completely in the room.

Sam gathered himself together and squared his shoulders. "What do you think I'm doing here? I have to find my family, Caleb!" he cried in reply.

"Sam, you shouldn't have come," Joshua said in a much calmer voice than Caleb.

"Why? You guys think I can't find them? How have you done so far?" Sam asked shortly.

"You promised me, Sam. I told you we had this covered," Caleb said angrily.

"I'm sorry, Caleb…I really am, but they're my family. I couldn't just go to class and pretend that nothing was wrong!" Sam answered urgently.

"You're too…"

"Too what! Young? Fragile? I went through so much, but guess what, Caleb! I made it through and you know why?" Sam shouted, tears welling in his eyes. "Because of them! They saved me…every single time! Now they need me! It's my turn to save them. Please, Caleb…please don't hate me. Don't send me away 'cause I'll just look for them on my own," he pleaded.

Caleb sighed as he turned to look at Joshua over his shoulder. The older, taller man nodded then turned his eyes to Sam. Caleb followed his gaze and shook his head. "I never said you were fragile, half pint. And you had just as big a part in saving yourself as your daddy and brothers did. I just…we don't even know where Danny and Dean are…"

"And Dad," Sam reminded his friend.

"No, Sam…John isn't with them. He got caught up in a hunt," Caleb said.

"What? But you said you couldn't locate him either and I can't get ahold of him," Sam said with confusion.

"Yeah…he isn't answering, but that's nothing new with Johnny when he's on a hunt," Joshua offered as he finally stepped away from the door and sat down on the nearest bed.

Sam glanced over at Joshua and bit his bottom lip. "So, he doesn't know that Dean and Danny are missing?" he asked.

"We left him a message to get here as soon as he could. Haven't heard back from him," Joshua answered.

Sam nodded, knowing that when John got involved in hunt, it was very difficult to reach him. He turned and looked down at the notes on the desk then glanced over at the older hunters. "Have you come up with anything?" he asked.

Caleb shook his head and stepped up to the desk. "Not really. There's no sign of the kid who went missing…his body hasn't shown up yet. I can't come up with much and the area authorities are at a loss. They basically wait until a body shows up to try to get more clues as to where they're being taken at first, but there just isn't enough to go on," he answered with a sigh. "What about you? You get anything out of that scratch?" he asked as he glanced down at Daniel's notes.

"Give me a few hours and I should have something," Sam answered.

"So, you can read that crap? Really?" Joshua asked as he stood up and scratched his head.

"I grew up reading this crap," Sam replied with a chuckle.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x**

**One Week Earlier**

Dean came awake slowly and he groaned when he rolled over to his side. He opened his eyes and blinked several times until his vision cleared. "What the…" he breathed out as he glanced slowly around. "F***ing cage." He pushed up to a sitting position and grabbed hold of the bars surrounding him, giving them a good shake. The bars were solid, much to the hunters dismay.

"Dean?" Daniel's hushed, weak voice called from Dean's right. Dean jerked his head around and sure enough, he found Daniel just coming around in his own cage.

"Danny…you okay?" Dean called as he moved to the end of the enclosure closest to Daniel.

"Uh…can I get back to you on that?" Daniel answered as he tilted his head back and glanced up at Dean. "How 'bout you?"

"Head hurts a bit, but other than that I'm good," Dean answered, his green eyes leaving his brother and surveying the room beyond his cage.

Daniel pushed up until he was sitting too, his eyes never leaving his brother. "Concussion?" he asked worriedly.

Dean shifted his gaze back to his brother and shook his head. "Naw…it's not bad at all. You look like crap by the way," he answered with a crooked grin.

Daniel let out a small chuckle as he looked around, his eyes finally settling back onto Dean. "Yeah, thanks for that. You won't win any pageants yourself, little brother," he quipped lightly.

Dean snorted then moved in front of the gate to his imprisonment. He grabbed the bars and jerked on them. "Son of a bitch!" he hissed before glancing over at his brother. "What about yours?" he asked. He watched as Daniel tested his cage door, frowning when the older brother came up with the same results.

"We're not going to be forcing these doors open," Daniel said as he rose up onto his knees and began to pat his jeans pockets. "Damn!" he spat angrily.

"What?" Dean asked.

"Lock pick set is gone and I'm guessing yours is too," Daniel answered.

Dean leaned back and checked his pocket, frowning and shaking his head when he came up empty also. "Sh*t," he hissed under his breath. He looked up at Daniel and shrugged. "So, what do we do now?" he asked.

Daniel shook his head and leaned back against the back of his cage. "I don't know. I guess we wait for Caleb and Josh to find us," Daniel answered.

"If they find us," Dean said softly as he glanced over at his brother.

"They'll find us, Dean. They'll find our room and our notes and maps…"

"Sammy's the only one who can decipher your notes, Danny," Dean said with a huff as he too leaned back against the metal bars of his prison.

Daniel looked over and met his brother's eyes. The two shared a common fear, one that everyone in their family and extended family shared. If something happened to them, what would become of Sam? Who would protect him? Who would keep him safe?

"We never should have come out here on our own, Dean. I'm sorry…"

"Hey, this isn't your fault, Danny. We had to at least try to save that kid," Dean said with a sigh.

"But what about Sammy? What if they don't find us in time?" Daniel asked wearily.

"They'll find us, Danny. And, if by chance they don't…Sam will have Dad and the others to watch out for him," Dean answered, though the thought of Sam being without his big brothers to watch over him made Dean's stomach knot like nobody's business.

"That's not the same and you know it, Dean. It won't be enough for Sammy. If we don't make it back, it'll kill him," Daniel said.

"Well, then I guess we'll just have to make sure we make it back," Dean said in reply.

The two brothers sat in silence for a few moments when suddenly the quiet was disturbed by the sound of a weak, frightened voice.

"Help me…please help me," the voice called softly and both brothers scrambled to their knees, their eyes searching the dimly lit room for the source of the voice.

"Hello! Where are you? Are you okay?" Daniel called as he pressed his face up against the bars of his cage.

"I…I'm here. Oh, God…please help me…it hurts," the voice called back.

"Okay, just calm down. Where are you hurt? What's your name?" Dean asked, his eyes focusing on another cage in the shadowed corner down from them.

"Uh…I…he cut me. He cut my chest…and my stomach," the voice answered.

"Okay…it's going to be okay. What's your name? Who cut you?" Dean queried.

"T-Tony…"

"Tony Munson? Are you Tony Munson?" Daniel asked urgently.

"Y-Yeah…how'd you know that?" the frightened teen asked.

"We've been looking for you."

"Can you get me out of here please? I want to go home…I don't want to die. He's going to kill me if I stay here. Please help me," the teen cried desperately.

"Who's going to kill you, Tony?" Dean asked as he looked for anything within reach that he could use to get out of his cage.

"The man…I think he's a doctor or something. He hurts me," Tony answered, his voice shaky and weak.

"Okay, Tony. We're working on it…you just try to keep calm. If he comes back, we'll try to keep his attention off of you," Daniel said calmly.

"He won't. He says he'll break me. He says I'm not from this world," Tony said softly.

"Not from this world? What does that mean?" Dean asked.

"I…I don't know, but…he…he…"

"He what?" Daniel prodded gently. "Tony, he what?"

"You'll think I'm crazy," the teen replied softly.

"Try us," Dean said.

"He…he appears out of thin air."

"Okay…don't worry, Tony. We'll figure this out," Daniel said.

"You believe me?" Tony asked meekly.

"Yeah…we believe you," Dean answered.

"I…I want to go home…I really, really want to go home," Tony cried softly.

"We know…we're working on it," Daniel said.

Suddenly, the hair went up on the back of Daniel's neck and he could swear he heard the air around him crackle. He looked over at Dean who had obviously felt the same thing. Tony cried out in fear and the brothers could hear him as he shuffled around in his cage, the teen probably terrified out of his mind.

"Oh God…he's coming. He's coming for me! Please…don't let him hurt me anymore! Please!" Tony yelled in near hysterics.

"Tony…try to keep quiet. Let us get his attention. We may be able to keep him away from you," Daniel said softly.

"Okay…okay," Tony whispered then went silent.

The air crackled more, then a form began to take shape. Within a few short seconds, a man appeared. He was dressed in a long, white lab coat with black pants and shoes beneath. A green apron was tied over his coat and it was heavily stained with blood. His hair was blonde and slicked back from his birdlike face. His nose was long and thin and hooked at the end. He wore round glasses that rested low on his nose. He held a clipboard in one arm. When he immediately started toward Tony's cage, Dean and Daniel began to shout at the spirit to takes its attention away from the terrorized teenager. The spirit turned and smiled first at Dean then at Daniel.

"You two creatures will have your turns soon enough. I'm almost finished with this one," the spirit said before once again turning away.

"Hey! You don't want to waste your time with that one. I'm much better looking and a lot more interesting!" Dean shouted urgently.

"Dean!" Daniel hissed as the spirit turned and stared at the younger brother. Daniel grabbed the bars of his cage and began to shake them violently. "I'm the leader of these two! If you want to get anywhere…take me!" he called out, drawing the attention of the spirit. Dean stared in fear as the spirit glided toward his brother's cage and leaned over and stared at the kneeling hunter.

"So, you're the leader?" the spirit asked evenly. "Then I guess you're next," it added as it began to straighten.

Daniel glanced briefly at the name tag on the spirits lab coat then looked up. "Dr. Torrence…I'm sure you want to get right to the leader right? Well, that's me. You'll get nothing from the young one and this one over here will only give you grief," he explained.

The spirit cocked its head as it considered its prisoners words. Finally, smiled then turned away. It moved toward Tony's cage and the brothers could only watch as it opened the cage and pulled the screaming teen from his cage.

"No! Help me! Please don't let him hurt me! Please!"

"Torrence! Stop…take me! Take me instead! No…stop!" Daniel screamed as he pulled desperately on the door to the cage.

The spirit ignored the hunters and dragged the teenager toward another part of the room. It effortlessly lifted the screaming, crying teen and dropped him onto a metal exam table. The teen was dressed only in his underwear and both Dean and Daniel could see the damage that had already been done to his body. The spirit made quick work of securing the teen to the table then rolled a small table up next to the exam table. Daniel gasped when he saw the spirit lift a scalpel from the table and hold it menacingly over the terrified teenager.

"No! Please don't! Please!" Tony cried in terror.

"Why have you come to our planet? How long have your people been visiting us?" Torrence queried as he lowered the scalpel and sliced down Tony's chest.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Tony screamed, his body squirming and bucking against the restraints that held him to the table.

"Stop it! He's human! He's human!" Dean screamed, his voice panicked as he stared in horror as the spirit made another cut down the hysterical teen's chest.

Dr. Torrence looked over his shoulder at his prisoners and smiled. "Shall we see what he has inside of him?" he asked before turning back to his work.

"No…please…no," Tony whimpered as the spirit lowered the scalpel once more.

This time, the spirit dug the scalpel deep into the flesh, cutting through muscle and into the stomach cavity of the teen. Tony let out a bloodcurdling scream as the spirit doctor ripped through his torso with precision. Dean and Daniel screamed and fought to break free from their prisons, the screams of the teen cutting through them like ginsu knives. The screams turned to choked gurgles and within just a few minutes to no sound at all. Dean dropped his forehead to the bars of his cage and cursed under his breath. Daniel stared on in horror as the spirit ripped Tony's torso wide open. The spirit reached inside the open cavity and began to methodically pull the intestines free. Daniel dropped to all fours and began to retch. Tears streamed from his eyes as he emptied his stomach onto the floor of his prison. Finally, he looked up and met the concerned and equally angry eyes of his younger sibling. It was in that moment that both brothers realized they may never see their father or younger brother again.

**So, I hope that I've somehow made up for the extreme lateness of this chapter. It seems our two brothers are in a bit of a pickle. I can't even imagine them being huddled up in those cages for a week...well, yes, I guess I can...since I put them there and all! :D Usually I'm being cruel to Sam so this is a bit new to me. Of course, Sam won't escape uninjured...that would be wrong...so very, very wrong! Let me know what you think and I will try my hardest to get the next chapter ready for posting much sooner than this one. I will be working on the next chapter of And the Deal Goes On next...kind of a back and forth deal here. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	4. Chapter 4

**What has it been? Five years since I posted on this story? LOL...well, maybe not that long...but way too long. I promise that once I get the multiple stories that I'm working on done, I will NEVER write more than one story at once again! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! To make matters worse, this is a short chatper :( Okay, so in my defense, I've written and rewritten this chapter three times...like, completely deleted and started over. I was either going to delete and start over again or post it...so, here it is! I hope it was worth the wait.**

**Cindy**

**Current Day**

Sam glanced up as the door to the motel room opened and Caleb walked in, take out bags in hand. It was nice to have a restaurant right at the motel as they didn't have to waste valuable time on food runs. Joshua came out of the bathroom toweling his wet hair with a white towel then plopped down on one bed and looked over at his friend.

"What took so long with the food?" Joshua asked as he dropped the towel to the bed.

"They'd just cleaned the fryer…had to wait for the oil to heat up," Caleb answered.

Joshua snorted then stood and walked to the table and began digging through the bags. He pulled out the container with the grilled chicken salad and glanced over at Sam who had gone back to studying Daniel's notes. "Hey, princess…salad's up," he called.

Sam looked up and rolled his eyes. He pushed back from the desk and met his friends at the table. He took his container and a fork then went back to the desk and sat down.

"Sam…eat. You've been looking at those notes for two hours…take a break," Caleb said as he sat down at the table and began to open the wrapper to his burger.

"I'm eating," Sam said without looking over. He opened his container and took a bite of the salad before going back to pouring over the notes.

Caleb shook his head as he glanced over at Joshua who merely shrugged his shoulders before digging in to his patty melt. They ate in silence, the two older hunters watching the youngest as he took a bite here and there, his eyes never leaving the sheets of paper laid out in front of him. The two were worried about their young comrade, but they understood his need to find his brothers. They weren't happy about him showing up, but both had to admit that if anyone was going to find the missing Winchesters, it would be Sam. Suddenly, Sam pushed back from the desk and stood. He hurried to the bed where Joshua was sitting and lifted a map of the area up and took it to the desk.

"You find something?" Caleb asked as he made his way to the desk, Joshua coming up behind him and glancing over his shoulder.

Sam looked up and smiled. "I think I know where they are," he answered excitedly.

**x x x x x x x x x x x x**

**Three Days Prior**

"Dean…Dean wake up," Daniel called from his cage, his face pressed up against the bars as he watched his brother begin to stir. Dean rolled over onto his back and groaned as he slowly sat up.

"What?" Dean asked as he stared groggily over at this brother.

"How you feeling?" Daniel queried, motioning for Dean to come closer to the bars.

"Like I've just been electrocuted," Dean answered weakly, the younger of the two scooting to the edge of his cage so that he was only maybe six inches from his brother.

Daniel reached through the bars as far as he could and waited for Dean to do the same. Their fingers barely touched, but in light of what they'd been through, that little bit of connection gave them the strength they needed to hang on. "I'm sorry, Dean," Daniel whispered, his eyes shining as he looked over at this brother.

"Danny…don't start that again. I'm fine. Besides, he hasn't used me for a cutting board like he has you," Dean said softly.

Daniel shook his head and dropped his head until his forehead rested on the bars. "It's my fault we're here, Dean. We should've waited for Caleb and Josh. I…"

"We both made the decision to come here. We had no choice, Danny."

"I'm the oldest…the responsibility lies with me, Dean and you know it. And we did have a choice. We could have waited…"

"And what? Left that kid to die without even trying to save him?"

"But he did die, Dean. We didn't save him and now we're going to die too."

"No we're not. Caleb and Josh are looking for us. They'll figure out where we are…eventually."

"You're the one who said it, Dean. Sammy's the only one who can decipher my notes and he's far away from here…thank God."

"You don't think they called him do you?" Dean asked.

Daniel looked up and met his brother's eyes. "No…they know better than to do that," he answered.

"What if they don't find us by the time we're supposed to call him?"

Daniel shook his head and pulled his hand from between the bars then sat down and leaned against the back of his cage. "I don't know, Dean."

"He'll know right away that something is wrong, Danny. He'll start calling around. God, what if he finds out about Area 51 and comes here," Dean asked, sudden fear making his voice tremble.

"Calm down. We'll get out of here before then," Daniel answered.

"What if we don't? Just a minute ago you were saying we were probably going to die! He'll figure it out, Danny…you know he will. If he comes here, he could become that crazy bastard's next victim!"

Daniel opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly, the air crackled and both hunters knew what was coming. They looked past their prisons and watched as the form of Dr. Torrence took shape in front of them. Dean pulled his lips back in a snarl as the spirit walked up to Daniel's cage and knelt down, his empty eyes staring at the defenseless hunter. Dean knew it was Daniel's turn as he'd had his dose of torture the previous night.

"Leave him alone you freak!" Dean shouted as the spirit placed its hand over the lock on the cage and the door swung open.

The spirit of the doctor ignored the raged filled shouts and reached in to drag the elder Winchester brother from the cage. Daniel fought as hard as he could, but with his injuries, the eldest brother was no match for the spirit. As he was lifted up, Daniel glanced down at his raging brother and smiled sadly. "I'll be okay, Dean…save your strength," he said before the spirit dragged him across to the metal exam table and dropped him roughly onto its cold, bloodied surface.

Daniel fought, but the spirit was easily able to get his wrists and ankles secured tightly to the table. He stared hatefully up at the spirit, the young man trying to tune out the shouts and cries of his brother as he prepared for the pain to come. The spirit leaned over him and smiled, though there was no warmth in that smile.

"So, are you going to tell me why you have come to my planet?" Torrence asked as he turned and lifted an instrument from the small, rolling table next to him.

Daniel glared at the spirit before his eyes moved to what the spirit held. Torrence chuckled as he saw the fear fill the hunter's eyes. "Ah…you're wondering where the scalpel is. Well, I thought I'd try something different today," the spirit said.

"Why are you keeping us alive? You killed the kid after just two days," Daniel queried, the young man trying to stall him impending torture.

The spirit chuckled then glanced over at the enraged young man in the cage. He looked back at the helpless hunter and cocked his head. "You interest me. You're not like the other beings," he answered matter of factly.

"We're not aliens…we're humans, just like all of the other's you've killed," Daniel spat angrily.

The spirit smiled and grasped Daniel's arm, the cold touch causing the young man's skin to prickle. Daniel struggled, but the restraints held him tight. "Don't do it! You son of a bitch…don't you do it!" he cried, eyes wide with fear and anger.

Torrence moved his icy hand down to Daniel's fingers then lifted one and held it tight. He took the plyers he held and clamped them down on one fingernail. Daniel couldn't hold in his scream as the fingernail was ripped from the nail bed.

"Danny!" Dean screamed, the younger brother not knowing exactly what was happening, but realizing with a sickening feeling in his stomach that it had to be bad for Daniel to scream like that. "You bastard! Leave him alone!"

The spirit of the doctor chuckled as it lifted another finger and ripped the fingernail free. Daniel screamed again, his body trembling at the abuse it had been put through and was being put through at the moment. By the time that Torrence got to the fifth finger, Daniel's voice was hoarse and all he could manage was a raspy sob. The spirit dropped the bloody plyers onto the rolling table then leaned over Daniel once again.

"Tell me why you came here? What do you want here?"

"Fuck you," Daniel hissed as tears rolled down his temples to wet his greasy hair.

"Danny! What are you doing to him! Get away from him!" Dean's frantic voice called, but the spirit paid him no mind at all. It simply laughed and lifted a syringe from the table.

Daniel's eyes widened when he saw the syringe and he struggled to pull away. Torrence smiled and lifted the syringe to the hunter's neck. "You're going to feel a little pinch," he said before plunging the needle into Daniel's skin and emptying the contents into his vein.

Daniel's body stilled and his eyes went wide as he stared up at the spirit. Torrence moved back just as Daniel began to seize. His back arched up off the table, his head banging on the metal surface as he twisted and jerked. Dean stared in horrified shock, the younger brother screaming with everything he had as he watched his older brother suffer so horribly. Finally, Daniel's body dropped back down to the table, the young man panting and gasping as small tremors wracked his tortured frame.

"You will tell me why you are here," Torrence whispered as he loosened Daniel's restraints and lifted his sweat slicked, limp body from the table and dragged him back to his cage.

Dean gripped the bars of his cage, his green eyes desperately watching as his brother was rolled into his own prison and the door slammed shut. The spirit touched the lock, turned to Dean and winked before it drifted across the floor and entered a room to Dean's left. It came back a few minutes later with two metal coffee mugs then slipped one mug into each cage. It smiled at Dean then turned and disappeared. Dean lurched at the bars between he and Daniel's cages and pressed his face up against his bars.

"Danny! Please, Danny…talk to me! Are you okay?" Dean cried as he watched Daniel's chest rapidly rise and fall, his breathing coming way too fast.

Daniel lay there for several minutes before his breathing finally calmed. He groaned as he rolled to his side and reached out for the bars. He gripped the bars and pulled himself up then leaned back and sighed. "I-I'm okay…" he whispered.

"Danny…I saw what he did," Dean said, his eyes falling onto the hand that Daniel had wrapped around his bare shoulder. He gasped in horror at the sight of the bloodied fingertips. "Son of a bitch," he hissed as he realized what the horrible screaming had been about.

Daniel slowly turned his head and looked at Dean over his shoulder. "I'm fine," he rasped, the tremor in his hand telling Dean that he was far from fine.

Dean shook his head then glanced down at the mug near Daniel's knee. "The bastard gave us water…drink it," he instructed. He watched as Daniel reached for the cup and greedily drank the tepid liquid down. Dean made sure that Daniel had finished his water before he lifted his own cup to his lips. The water was warm, but it was wet and it tasted better than anything Dean had ever tasted before. He dropped the cup and turned then leaned up against the bars, his back to Daniel's. "We gotta get out of here, Danny," he said as he laid his head back.

"I know," Daniel whispered before he shifted down to the floor, wrapped his arms around his shivering body and fell into a fitful sleep.

**Alright...let me have it! I deserve it! Just want to say a huge thank you for all the wonderful reviews on this...I continue to be blown away with the support I receive in regards to Danny...you guys love him and I'm not sure why, but I love him too so it makes me so very happy! Love you all!**

**Cindy**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, I finally have an update for you. I swear, the next time I mention that I'm doing more than one story at once, someone hit me over the head to knock some sense into me! Really...I'm not kidding! Not a good idea at all. Anyway, thank you all so much for the support on this one. And thanks for sticking with me even through the long waits for updates. I so appreciate you all! The reviews have been wonderful and I can't thank you enough for that. I guess the only thing I can do is let you get to the chapter. Read on :)**

**Cindy**

_Sam looked up and smiled. "I think I know where they are," he answered excitedly._

"What? Where?" Caleb asked as he moved over to where Sam was scouring Daniel's notes.

Sam stood and moved to where a satellite map was spread out on one bed. He looked up at Caleb and Joshua to make sure they were listening. "Look, here…according to Danny's notes, this is where the authorities have focused their efforts to find the missing people," he said as he pointed out an area on the map, "What Danny figured is that somehow, the victims are taken from this area and moved all the way over here to this abandoned complex of buildings," he continued as he moved his finger over to a spot at the edge of the map.

Joshua looked at where Sam had his finger then turned and picked up Daniel's notes. He shook his head and glanced back over at his young friend. "How the hell did you get that from this chicken scratch?" he asked incredulously.

Sam chuckled as he stood and faced the older man. "It would take years, Josh, and we don't have that much time," he said. "Come on, we have to get out there," he added as he quickly moved toward the door.

Caleb reached out and grasped Sam's arm, stopping the young man before he could open the door. "Whoa, hold up there cowboy. We need to plan this out a bit," he said.

Sam pulled his arm free and glared at his fellow hunter. "Dean and Danny don't have a bit, Caleb! They may already…they…they need us to get our asses in gear! You can sit around here and plan it out…I'm going!" he snapped before once again turning for the door. He ripped the door open and took a step outside, but stopped when Joshua's voice called to him.

"Sam, does Danny's notes say anything about what they think is responsible for the disappearances and murders? Don't you think we should know what we're facing before we go running in there?"

Sam dropped his head then slowly turned back to face his friends. He stepped back into the room and lightly shut the door behind him. He went to where he'd left Daniel's notes and picked them up. "Uh, they believe it's a spirit…um…possibly someone who once worked at the facility," he said softly, his eyes filled with defeat when he looked back up at his fellow hunters.

Joshua stepped up to the younger hunter and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, kiddo…we know you want to get out there and you know what…we're a hell of a lot closer now than we were before you showed up. Just a little bit more research to possibly find out who this spirit may have been and where we can find the body to burn it will help us finish it and get your brothers back," he said.

Sam glanced up at Joshua and nodded slightly. "I'm sorry…I just…they could already be dead and…and I just want to find them, Josh," he replied. "I didn't see anything about who the spirit was…they must not gave gotten that far. I just don't understand why they went out there when they didn't know that," he added, his voice rising a bit.

"Because of the last victim. They thought they could save him if they got to him soon enough. We told them to wait for us, but they said there wasn't time," Caleb said from across the room.

"Yeah, that sounds like them," Sam said softly as he made his way to the table that held his laptop. "I'll start researching that facility. Maybe I can find something."

Joshua nodded and went back to Daniel's notes. He dropped down onto the bed, a frown creasing his brow as he shook his head. "I don't know how the hell you can read this crap," he mumbled under his breath, bringing an amused grin to Sam's face.

"I'm gonna go talk to the locals, see if anyone remembers anybody who might have died while working out at Area 51," Caleb announced as he made his way to the door. He turned back and glanced worriedly at Sam who was already deep into research. "Hey, Sammy…we'll find them," he called softly.

Sam looked up from his computer and turned to his friend. He smiled softly and nodded. "I know we will…thanks, Caleb," he replied before turning back to his work.

Caleb glanced at Joshua then opened the door and left the room. Joshua, determined to find something…anything…in Daniel's notes went back to squinting at the small chicken scratch while Sam delved into his research, the young man determined to find something before the day was through. Twenty minutes after Caleb left the room, he returned, his face grim as he glanced from one hunter to the other. Joshua and Sam both looked up at him and Sam's stomach dropped when he saw the look on Caleb's face.

"What's going on, Caleb? What's wrong?" Sam asked as he pushed back from the computer and stood to face his friend.

"They found a body," Caleb answered.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

**One Day Prior**

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Daniel screamed from his prison as he watched Dean's body arch up from the table as yet another bolt of electricity was shot through him by the sadistic Dr. Torrence.

The spirit turned to Daniel and smiled before switching off the dial on the contraption he had Dean hooked to. Dean's body continued to twitch as the last remnants of electricity coursed through his body. Finally, the twitching stopped and the young man stilled on the table. The only indication that he was still alive was the shallow, pain filled gasps coming from him, the sounds torturing his brother who could only watch from a distance.

"Dean…you hold on, little brother. I'm going to get you out of here! I promise!" Daniel called before finally tearing his gaze away from his suffering brother. He turned hate filled eyes onto their tormentor and growled low in his throat. "I'm going to end you, you son of a bitch!" he hissed fiercely.

The spirit laughed as it released the restraints that held Dean tight to the table. He easily lifted Dean's body and drifted across the room. He shoved the barely conscious young man into his cage then slammed the door shut. Dean curled in on himself and groaned as pain gripped every inch of his body. Daniel watched him with deep concern before turning his gaze back to the spirit who drifted just inches from the cage, its deep, soulless eyes watching Dean, a sinister smile curling its pale lips.

"What do you want with us? Why are you doing this? What happened to you to make you this…evil?" Daniel asked, his voice low and weak as the adrenaline drained from his body.

Dr. Torrence tore his gaze from Dean and turned to Daniel. He drifted closer to the older brother's cage and gazed down at him. "I was the best scientist this facility had. I was smarter than any of the others. They were all idiots! I was the one who discovered that the aliens had taken the civilians places and were walking among us. When the powers that be scoffed at me and told me that my services would no longer be required if I didn't bow down to their idiotic rules, I decided the only way to make them see was to make the aliens confess. I figured out quite early the only way to make them talk was to torture them," the spirit said with goose pimple inducing coldness.

"You've done this before…back when…"

"Yes, until that idiot Dr. Mead interfered. They were going to shut me out…take away my lab. But I wasn't going to let that happen! I was trying to save the world from them…from you filthy creatures and they tried to stop me! Mead suffered before he died…of course I'd figured out that he was one of them and that was why he was trying to stop me. I thought that once he was gone they would listen, but they didn't. They stormed my lab and tried to drag me out, but I wasn't going to let them ruin my work!"

"Why are you back now? The facility is closed down…the aliens are all gone," Daniel said.

"They aren't gone…they never were gone. They started to come back here and that was when I knew I could still continue my work. Every time one of you dared to come close, I was there. I will find out why you came here and I will rid the earth of each and every one of you!"

"Why do you take the bodies to places they'll be found?"

Dr. Torrence looked down at Daniel like he'd grown two heads and rolled his lifeless eyes. "So the others can see what's going to happen to them of course," he answered before fading from view.

Daniel sat back in his cage, the young man groaning as the movement pulled at the many cuts that littered his body. He turned when he heard Dean shuffle in his cage. He moved to the side of the cage and watched as Dean slowly pulled himself up from the cold, dirty floor.

"Dean, you okay?" Daniel asked with concern as Dean groaned softly.

"Ask me that later," Dean gasped as he leaned against the bars and glanced groggily up at his brother.

Daniel looked his brother over as best he could then sighed. "Did you hear what crazy said?" he asked.

"Yeah. So, he did this before…when he was still alive. Guess we missed that," Dean whispered.

"Yeah….guess we did," Daniel agreed, his eyes never leaving his younger brother.

"Sammy wouldn't have missed it," Dean said. "He always could find the most obscure things when doing research."

"Yeah," Daniel whispered fondly.

"Danny…I don't think he's going to keep us alive much longer," Dean suddenly said.

Daniel frowned and leaned his forehead against the bars. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

Dean looked up with dull, green eyes and sighed. "He whispered to me…he said that he was tiring of us…said there were others snooping around and that he needed to make room for them."

Daniel sucked in a breath at Dean's words. "Caleb and Josh," he whispered.

Dean nodded and closed his eyes. "Do you think Dad has shown up yet?" he asked fearfully.

"I don't know, Dean," Daniel answered.

"This is gonna kill Sammy. When they find our bodies…its gonna kill him."

"We're getting out of this, Dean. It means Caleb and Josh are close to finding us."

"If it is them, Danny. What if they're too late? What if Torrence catches them?"

"They won't get caught…and if Dad's with them, he'll make sure Torrence never hurts anybody again."

Dean nodded and rested his head back against the bars of his cage. "Well, they better do it soon," he said as his eyes fell shut.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

John Winchester pressed harder on the gas pedal of his truck, the large vehicle eating up the asphalt as it sped toward Nevada. He'd been unable to reach either Dean or Daniel and he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to his two elder sons. He'd tried Caleb, but had no luck there either. He was thankful that Sam was tucked away nice and safe at Stanford and as much as he wanted to call his youngest son to see if he'd talked to his brothers, John did not want to alarm the young man. He'd be in Rachel, Nevada in a little over 4 hours and then he'd find out why his sons weren't answering his calls.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam felt his knees give out beneath him and if Joshua hadn't been close by, he would have hit the floor, but Joshua was close by, close enough to catch Sam and guide him down onto the chair. Joshua looked up at Caleb and frowned.

"Shit, Caleb…a little discretion would be nice!" Joshua hissed as he returned his gaze to his young, pale friend.

"Oh…oh crap…no…Sam, it isn't…it's the kid who disappeared. I'm so sorry," Caleb stammered as he rushed forward and rested his hand on Sam's shoulder.

Sam looked up and swallowed before letting out a deep, shaky breath. "It wasn't…it wasn't Dean or Danny?" he asked hopefully.

Caleb dropped to his knees in front of the shaken young man and shook his head. "No…I'm so sorry. I should've known how you would take it. It was that kid that disappeared a week ago…the one Dean and Danny went looking for," Caleb answered.

"They didn't save him," Sam whispered as he glanced from Caleb to Joshua and back again. "That's gonna kill 'em…their gonna blame themselves," he added.

Joshua looked over at Caleb and met the younger man's eyes. He turned back to Sam and patted his shoulder lightly. "Hey, lets not worry about that right now, okay kiddo. Lets look at the positive side of this," he said.

Sam looked over at Joshua and frowned. "What positive side, Josh? The kid is dead and Dean and Danny are still missing. Where is the positive in that?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, if they've just found the kids body, then odds are that your brothers are still alive. From what I've gathered, the victims have been found about a week to a week and a half apart. We've still got time, Sam…Dean and Danny are still alive," he explained.

Sam's eyes widened as he realized the truth in Joshua's words. If whatever took his brothers had just dumped the last victim, then most likely his brothers were still alive. "I…I have to get back to research! There's got to be something somewhere…I just have to look closer!" he cried as he suddenly turned back to his laptop.

"Hey, half pint…maybe we should take a break…get a bite to eat," Caleb suggested.

Sam looked over and eyed Caleb with annoyance. "I haven't been half pint for a long time, Caleb…and I'm not hungry. I'll eat when we've found Dean and Danny," he said before turning back to his computer.

"I'm just saying, Sam, that…"

"And I'm just saying that now that they've found that kid's body, Dean and Danny are next! We're running out of time. You can eat if you want, but I'm going to find my brothers and I'll eat when they can eat too!" Sam snapped before he suddenly lowered his eyes in shame. "I'm sorry, Caleb…I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I know you've been working your tail off every day to find them…I had no right…"

"Hey," Caleb said as he clapped Sam on the shoulder. "It's okay…I understand. I just don't want you running yourself down and getting sick is all."

"I know. I won't…really. I can feel it, Caleb…I can feel that the answer is right here…I just have to find it. I have to find them."

"I know…and we will find them," Caleb said. "You hit the computer and Josh and I will hit the locals again. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to anyone, what with the discovery and all."

"Okay…and Caleb, I really am sorry," Sam said softly.

"No need to feel sorry," Caleb replied with a sad, worried smile.

Sam nodded and turned back to his computer, they young man's fingers drifting deftly over the keys, his eyes scanning the screen, face mere inches from the surface. Caleb and Joshua watched him for a few moments before both men went to the door and left him to his research. They both knew that Sam was right…with the discovery of the missing kid's body, Dean and Daniel were definitely next and if they didn't find them soon, their bodies would be the next to be found.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

"So, you're saying that the kid died several days ago?"

"Uh, yes…that's what I just said. Now, what was your name again?" the white haired, lab coat wearing man asked.

"Agent Shaw and this is Agent DeYoung," Caleb said with a hint of impatience. "Now, can you tell me…were the other bodies found days after they died?"

"No. The others were found within twenty four hours of their deaths. This one was either kept longer before being dumped or just wasn't found as quickly…though I'd venture to say it was kept longer because I didn't find the usual insect activity I would normally find on a body that had been lying outdoors in the elements for several days," the old man answered.

"Interesting," Joshua said as he glanced nervously over at his partner. "Is there anything else you can tell us about the body?"

"Not at the moment. Not until I can get it transported back to Las Vegas to my lab. A full autopsy needs to be performed before I can have anymore answers for you gentlemen," the old man said.

"Okay, well…thank you for your time Dr. Stevens. We'll be contacting you later," Caleb said before he and Joshua turned away from the coroners vehicle and walked back to Caleb's SUV.

Once inside the vehicle, Caleb collapsed back against the seat and looked worriedly over at this friend. "This isn't good, Josh. If that kid died days ago then…"

"I know…don't even say it. And we definitely can't tell Sam. We have to go on the belief that they're still alive," Josh said as he stared out the front window, his heart hurting for their young friend back at the motel. If Dean and Daniel died, Sam would be devastated…John too, but it was Sam that Joshua was most worried about. The kid had already been through so much and Joshua was terrified of what losing his brothers would do to him. Joshua turned to Caleb, a determined sparkle in his dark eyes. "We've got to find them, Caleb…for their sake and for Sam's."

Caleb nodded and started up the SUV then sped off down the road toward the motel. If they were going to find the Winchester brothers alive they were going to have to do it soon. He nearly jumped out of his skin when his cell phone rang from within his jacket pocket. He fished it out and looked down at the phone, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw the name on the display. He glanced up at Joshua then flipped the phone open and pressed it to his ear.

"John," he said, a veil of fear falling over him at the news he was about to convey to his friend.

**Hey, at least John is on his way. I know this one was a wee bit short, but I wanted to get it posted. I just couldn't keep you all waiting any longer. I'm thinking that I might just finish up with The Deal sequel before working on this one anymore. I'm not sure yet if I'll do that, but maybe if I just concentrate on one at a time, the updates will come quicker. Who knows :/ Anyway, let me know what you think. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, it's been a long time coming, but finally I have the next chapter for you! I have taken on a second job (so I can go see the boys in Chicago next year) so time is even tighter now. I finished this chapter at work during my breaks :) I'm not going to hold you up...just read then let me know what you think. Thanks so much for sticking with me...love to all of you.**

**Cindy**

"Dammit! What the hell were they thinking going out there alone!" John snapped into the phone, his foot pressing harder on the gas pedal, his truck speeding down the deserted highway. "Where were you…why didn't you stop them!"

_"Now just hold on, John. You're the one who told them to handle the hunt until you got there. They're the ones who called us."_

John sighed and took a deep breath to calm his frayed nerves. "Yeah, yeah…okay, you're right. But, I didn't mean for them to go off half cocked when they didn't know what they were up against!" he cried.

_"Johnny, they weren't going to…they were going to wait for Josh and I, but then that kid got taken. You know those boys…you trained those boys. They weren't about to sit on their asses if there was anything they could do to save him and you know it."_

"Yeah, I do know that," John admitted, his dark eyes intently watching the road ahead of him. "At least Sammy is safe at Stanford…don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with him being in the middle of all this," he added gruffly.

_"Uh…about Sam. John…"_

"Wait…don't tell me he's there," John hissed, his heart beginning to hammer wildly in his chest. "Caleb, so help me if he's…"

_"He's fine, John. He's back at the motel researching as we speak."_

"He's alone! What the hell is he doing there anyway!"

_"He's not a kid anymore, Johnny. In case you missed it, you have a genius for a youngest son…when he couldn't get hold of any of you guys on the normal day, he called me…he knew something was wrong."_

"So you just spilled it all? You just said…hey, your brothers are missing…why don't you leave school and hop on down here, put yourself in danger too? Are you frickin' kidding me, Caleb!"

_"He's not in danger, John. We'll keep him safe. And as for spilling everything, he pretty much had if figured out…all except where they were hunting at. I swear, sometimes I think that kid is psychic."_

"You shouldn't have told him where they were, Caleb. He'd still be in Palo Alto…safe…if you had just kept your mouth shut!"

_"Do you really believe that, Johnny? If you do then you don't know Sam very well. He'd have found out where they were…somehow…and then he'd be right here. As it is, without him, we wouldn't have a clue where to look. Apparently, he's the only one who can decipher Danny's handwriting. We're pretty sure we know where they are, we…"_

"Then why is he still researching? Why aren't you and Josh out there finding my boys?"

_"Because we still don't know who the spirit is, John. Wouldn't do no good to just go out there without knowing who we're up against. That's what Sam's working on at the motel. Josh and I have been talking to the locals and we think we have some leads."_

John perked up at that and relaxed his grip on the steering wheel ever so slightly. "Okay, that's good. I'll be there in an hour or so. You wait for me at the motel…don't let Sammy out of your sight for a second. I don't want him anywhere near where you think Dean and Danny are. You know how the supernatural sons of bitches latch onto him," he commanded.

_"You know once we tell him who we think the spirit is he's gonna want to get out there, John. How do you propose we keep him here?"_

"Don't tell him. Just say you couldn't get anything out of the locals. Once…"

_"So, you want me to lie to him? I don't like lying to the kid and you know it, John. I promised him a long time ago I never would."_

"What's more important right now, Caleb? Keeping your little promise or keeping him safe? I already have two boys out there…I don't need to have three of them at the mercy of this sadistic son of a bitch."

John waiting through the sudden silence then grinned when he heard Caleb sigh. _"Fine, I'll tell him we didn't find out anything, but you're telling him you made me lie once you get here, Johnny. Just hurry up…the kid has a way of making you feel guilty without even saying a word…damn big, innocent eyes anyway."_

John chuckled at that, knowing exactly what Caleb was talking about. Sam did have a way of getting to even the most hardened of hunters. All it took was a look and they were putty in his hands. "Yeah, okay. I'll be there soon. Just sit tight…we'll have the boys back by nightfall," he said before closing his phone and dropping it on the seat beside him.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Gotcha, you bastard," Sam murmured excitedly to himself. He pushed back from the laptop and immediately began to get his duffel bag together with supplies left in the room by his two friends. He stopped momentarily and pulled out his cell phone, punching in Caleb's number then frowning when it went straight to voicemail. He stuck the phone back into his pocket and returned to filling his duffel with all he would need to rescue his brothers. Once he had all of his things together, he quickly scratched out a note to Caleb and Joshua and stuck it to the open laptop, the screen still displaying the information he had discovered. "Sorry guys…I can't wait for you. Dean and Danny need me," he said under his breath as he pulled the door open and exited the motel room. Minutes later he was speeding down the blacktop towards Area 51 in a 'borrowed' car, his fingers tapping impatiently on the steering wheel as the road stretched out for miles before him.

Twenty minutes later, Sam was slipping silently through the trees and underbrush, avoiding any open areas as best he could, his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, sawed off shot gun gripped tightly in one hand, jacket pockets filled with rock salt rounds. He hoped that Caleb and Joshua had returned to the motel by now and had found his note on whom he believed was the only one who could be behind the disappearances. He further hoped that they could find out where Torrence's body could be found so that he could be put to rest permanently. Sam stopped when the deserted compound he was searching for came into view. He knew he was in the right place. When he'd pulled the car he'd borrowed off of the road onto an almost hidden road and found the Impala hidden amongst the trees, his heart had begun to race in his chest. His brothers were out here, most assuredly hurt, possibly dead and he was going to find them and bring them home if it was the last thing he did.

Sam slipped from the cover of the trees and raced toward the first building he'd come to. He made his way around the corner and found a door. He glanced up above the door and smiled. "Building B, right off the bat. Seems luck is going my way today," he said under his breath as he tried the door and found that while it was a little tight, with a little muscle he was able to push it open. He slipped into the building, leaving the door open so that when Caleb and Joshua found the complex they would know where he had gone. He almost immediately found boot prints in the heavy layer of dust on the floor and smiled as he began to follow the trail his brothers had unknowingly left for him. After several turns down long corridors, Sam finally reached the end of the boot prints. He could see where it appeared as though someone had kneeled down in front of a door. He smiled as he realized this must be where his brothers had stopped. He glanced around and frowned when he saw marks in the dust that seemed to indicate a struggle.

"This is where they were attacked," Sam murmured to himself, his stomach knotting when the thought of his brother's hurt all of this time struck him as he eyed the dirty floor, hazel eyes clouded with worry.

Sam shook the thought from his head and went to the door. He reached out and tried the knob, surprised when it easily turned in his hand. He pushed the door open and walked through it as silently as he could. He squinted against the darkness of the room as he pulled a small maglite from his pocket. He shone the light around the room, frowning when he saw nothing but a dust covered desk and file cabinets. He walked to the desk and read the name plate that sat haphazardly at an angle on one corner.

"Torrence…so this was your office," Sam whispered, his eyes moving from the name plate to scan the room. He smiled when past a large bank of file cabinets he spied a door with a small, frosted glass window. "Bingo," he said as he swiftly moved toward the door.

Sam pushed the door open with ease and shone his light down a steep set of steps. He carefully made his way down the steps and turned the corner into a dark hallway to his right. He didn't see the door at the top of the steps slowly close or hear the barely audible chuckle that echoed through the small office beyond the door.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Son of a bitch!" Caleb spat as he looked around the empty motel room.

"Caleb…come here," Joshua called, his eyes drifting over the article on Sam's laptop screen, Sam's note in his hand.

Caleb walked over and took then note, his eyes scanning the words before he dropped his arm and glanced at the computer screen. "Dammit, Sam…you couldn't just wait for us?" he hissed under his breath.

"Looks like we were right about one of our leads at least," Joshua said as he focused in on the article about one Dr. Torrence.

Caleb leaned over and read the article more carefully. "So, this Dr. Torrence disappeared and the Army proclaimed they had no knowledge of his whereabouts huh? Yeah, I'll bet they had no knowledge…from what we've managed to find, they probably made him disappear," he said.

"Yeah, and I'll bet his body is buried or hidden somewhere near the complex where he had his laboratory," Joshua remarked as he glanced over at his younger friend.

"Or, they could have hidden him somewhere inside the building…they wouldn't want anyone seeing them transporting a suspicious looking bundle out of the place," Caleb said as he stood and walked over to the nearest bed and sat down.

"True…the places out there are pretty grown over now with vegetation, but back then there wouldn't have been much surrounding them to provide cover," Joshua replied.

"So, what do we do, Josh? Do we go find half pint and drag his ass back here, or do we try to find out where this Torrence dude is hidden?" Caleb asked.

Joshua looked at his watch then glanced down at his comrade. "I say we wait for John…he should be here in about twenty minutes. We can try to locate more detailed plans of that complex and see if there is some place inside that would make a good hiding place for a body while we wait," he answered.

"God…John is gonna be so pissed. I'm gonna kill that kid when we get 'em all back," Caleb cursed under his breath.

"Let's just focus on finding a probable hiding place or burial site and worry about all that when the time comes. Here, you take the computer, I'll take the maps," Joshua said as he moved out of the way of the chair and let Caleb sit down in front of Sam's laptop.

The two hunters set to work, both busying themselves with the task at hand, both also dreading the moment when John showed and found that all three of his boys were now in danger of never being seen again.

x x x x x x x x x x x x

Sam moved as stealthily as he could down the short corridor then stopped as he came to a swinging metal door. He drew in a deep, steadying breath before slowly letting it out then he carefully pushed the door open and eased through the opening. He held the edge of the door and slowly let it close before he turned and looked around the room before him. Light from small windows along the top of the walls let enough light in so that his maglite was unnecessary. He put the light away as he stepped further into the room. A metal lab examination table was in the center of the room and as Sam stepped closer, he swallowed against the sudden bile that rose in his throat as he realized what coated the table and was pooled on the floor around it. Bindings were at each corner of the table and Sam couldn't stop the small shudder that ran through his body as he imagined his brother's strapped down to its blood covered surface. He startled slightly when he heard a soft noise come from a room just off of the laboratory. He moved to the room and immediately noticed several large cages running along the far wall. His eyes widened when he saw who was in two of those cages.

"Dean! Danny! Oh my God!" Sam exclaimed as he dashed toward the cages and dropped to his knees in front of them.

Lying on the floor in one cage, a figure softly groaned then slowly lifted its head and looked up at Sam with green, red rimmed eyes. "Sammy?" a hoarse voice whispered as the figure rolled to its side and pushed up on one arm.

"Dean…oh, God…what did he do to you?" Sam cried as he reached through the bars toward his brother.

Dean's eyes widened, his body filling with energy he thought he'd never have again. He rolled up until he was sitting then reached out and took Sam's hand as if it were a lifeline. "Sammy…wh-what are you doing here? You have to get out of here!" he cried, his fear filled eyes scanning the room behind Sam.

Sam's eyes scanned his brother, his stomach roiling at the damage he found. "I'm not leaving without you and Danny," he said as he scooted as close to the cage as he could and squeezed Dean's hand. Movement from the other cage drew both brothers attention away from each other and to the slowly stirring hunter imprisoned therein. Daniel was leaned against the back of the cage, his chin resting on his bare chest. He slowly lifted his head and gazed blankly at his baby brother. As realization dawned, his eyes widened in sudden fear. He groaned in pain as he leaned forward and thrust his hand through the bars. There was no hesitation as Sam took Daniel's hand with his free one.

"Danny…are you okay?" Sam asked, his voice thick with worry.

"Sammy…what…how did you find us? You have to get out of here before…before he comes!"

"I already told Dean…I'm not leaving you here. I'm getting you out of here," Sam cried as he reluctantly let go of his brother's hands and dug in his pocket and pulled out his lock picking kit. He immediately went to work on Dean's lock, his mind fully on the task at hand.

"Sam…he's going to be coming! He probably knows you're here!" Dean exclaimed.

Sam looked up and shrugged. "I don't care…I'm getting you two out of here. Caleb and Josh will find his body and burn it."

"Caleb and Josh? Are they with you?" Daniel asked with hope in his voice.

"I hope so," Sam murmured as he went back to work on the lock.

"You what? You don't know if they're here? You came alone?" Dean snapped, his green eyes staring incredulously at his baby brother.

"I didn't have time to wait for them…I left them all that I'd found…they'll be able to figure out what to do from there."

"What about Dad? Is he here?" Daniel asked.

Sam shook his head, but remained focused on the lock. "No...he's not here," he said.

Suddenly, the room crackled with energy and Sam instantly dropped the lock pick and swooped up the shot gun, swinging it around and firing as a form suddenly took shape behind him. A loud screech echoed through the room as the form disappeared. Sam dropped the gun then took up the lock pick again, rushing to free his brothers before the entity returned.

"Sam…hurry!" Daniel cried as he rolled onto this knees and crawled to the front of his cage.

"I am hurrying!" Sam shouted back, but then he suddenly let out a started cry as he was yanked backward and sent sailing through the air, his back hitting the wall between the prison room and the lab, his body landing with a thud on the grimy floor.

"Sam!" Dean screamed, his eyes wide as the form of Dr. Torrence took shape and moved toward his stunned brother.

Sam groaned as he rolled onto his knees and looked up at the approaching spirit. Dean franticly reached through the cage bars and clawed at the shot gun until finally he got a grip of the muzzle and pulled it to him.

"Dean! Hurry!" Daniel shouted, his fingers wrapped around his cage bars in a white knuckled grip.

Dean grabbed up the shot gun and turned it around, but cried out when he realized he had no shells to load into it. "Dammit! Sam…run! Get out of here!" he screamed as the spirit closed in on his little brother.

Sam jerked his attention to his brother and realized that he needed to get away, to lead the spirit away from his family. He ducked to the right and sprang to his feet then dashed toward the laboratory. He almost made it to the door when suddenly, he was yanked back, a strong, spectral hand entangled in his hair. He struggled and shouted curses as he was dragged by his hair toward the metal table. He could hear his brothers screaming his name, but his focus was on the sticky pools of dried crimson that spotted the floor beneath the table. He had to free himself, had to save his brothers, but those thoughts were dashed as his head was unceremoniously slammed into the edge of the table, the young man unconscious before his limp body hit the floor.

"Sam! No!" Daniel screamed, his eyes wide as the spirit leaned over his brother's still body.

Torrence turned his head and smiled at the frantic prisoners inside the cages. He straightened then reached over the metal exam table and lifted a dirty scalpel from the table on the other side. He chuckled as he once again leaned over the unconscious subject beneath him, relishing in the shouts of the two cages creatures coming from the other room. He quickly cut the new subject's jacket and shirts away, revealing a toned, smooth chest. He grinned as he lifted the subject from the floor and prepared to bind him to the table. Suddenly, he seemed to change his mind and turned toward Dean and Daniel, an evil grin spreading across his face. He carried Sam into the room and none too gently dropped his body onto the tops of the cages so that his shoulders were evenly placed over both, his hips and legs dangling down the fronts. Torrence secured each arm to the cage tops before reaching down and removing Sam's boots. He secured each ankle to the front of the cages then drifted back and admired the set up. He moved toward the cages and glanced from one furious subject to the other.

"This one seems to mean a lot to you two…I figure you'd want him close. You may not have talked before, but I'm willing to bet you will once I begin interrogating him," the spirit hissed before he glided to the lab then quickly returned with the tray of torture instruments he'd used on all of his previous subjects. He set the tray on the floor and moved back from the cages. He watched in amusement as the two caged subjects turned their attention to the one bound tightly above them. They reached up through the bars and each grasped one limp hand. The spirit had sensed a bond between his two subjects before, but now that the third had arrived, the sense of that bond had grown to an unfathomable level. He knew that by using the third subject, the first two would tell everything he needed. A soft moan told the spirit that the subject was coming around and that soon he'd have the answers he'd longed for all of these years.

Dr. Torrence moved silently toward the cages then looked down and smiled as dazed hazel eyes opened and stared fearfully up at him. He ignored the curses of the creatures in the cages and leaned down to the instrument tray on the floor. He lifted a scalpel, this one as crusted with blood and tissue as the one he'd used to remove the subjects clothing and leaned over the struggling form.

"Shall we begin?" Dr. Torrence asked as he lowered the scalpel to Sam's chest.

Sam's tortured scream echoed through the room as the first cut sliced deep into his flesh, his warm blood running in rivlets over his sides and dripping down onto the panicked young men in the cages below.

**What? Don't yell at me...you know you like cliffies...admit it! Okay...will get another chapter up as soon as I can. In the meantime, I'll work on the next Deal chapter. Take care all :D**

**Cindy**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm not even going to try to apologize for the lateness of this post. It seems pretty redundent considering I have to apologize every time I post. So, instead I will just thank you all for your wonderfully supportive comments and leave it at that. I will apologize though for the shortness of this post. If I didn't stop it where I did, it could be another week before I was ready to post. So, I'll let you get to it then. **

**Cindy**

Caleb looked up as the door to the motel room opened and a red faced John rushed into the room, his dark eyes immediately scanning the interior before landing on first Caleb, then Joshua.

"Where's Sam?" John snapped as he closed the distance between himself and the bathroom and looked inside. He spun around when he found the small room empty. "Where in the hell is Sam!"

"Uh, John…just calm down okay…" Caleb started, but stopped when John's eyes narrowed and his lips turned up into a frightening snarl.

"Where is my son! Don't tell me to calm down, just tell me what I asked you to!" John shouted.

"Johnny, he isn't here. He was gone when we got back to the motel," Joshua said as he moved between John and Caleb.

"Son of a bitch! Why did you leave him alone? You know how those boys are when one or more are in trouble! They have no sense…no sense at all!" John snapped before beginning to pace the floor.

"John, Sam left us everything he found. We know where Danny and Dean are and we know whose spirit we're dealing with. He even circled a few places he thinks the body may be buried," Caleb offered as he stood and held out a handful of notebook paper covered with Sam's scrawl.

John nearly ripped the pages from Caleb's hand and scanned each page carefully. Once he had read through the notes, he rushed to the maps that were spread about, the focused man mumbling to himself as he made marks on the maps. After several minutes he looked up, dark eyes flashing intently as he glared at Joshua and Caleb. "Get your shit together. We're getting my boys back and we're going to torch this Torrence son of a bitch!" he commanded as he stormed toward the door. Caleb and Joshua looked at each other when the door slammed leaving them alone once again.

"Okay…uh…we better get moving. I don't think Dean and Danny have much time left," Caleb said as he hurried to get his weapons together.

Joshua nodded as he too gathered his things together. Three minutes was all the two hunters needed before they were filing out the door and scrambling into Caleb's SUV. John glanced over from his truck then backed up and peeled out of the parking lot. Caleb followed suit, the younger hunter needing to press down harder on his gas pedal to catch up with his older friend.

"This is going to get interesting," Joshua said under his breath from the passenger seat.

Caleb glanced over and nodded. "You got that right," he agreed as he turned back to the road and the speeding truck in front of him.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

"Stop!" Daniel screamed, the frantic young man reaching up through the bars of his cage and trying to grab the scalpel away from the sadistic spirit who was carving up his baby brother.

"All you need to do is tell me why you have come to this planet and I will stop," Torrence simply said before turning his attention back to Sam, who struggled futilely to escape his bonds and the torture being inflicted upon him.

Torrence leaned over Dean's cage and brought the scalpel close to Sam's bicep. Before the spirit could press the blade to Sam's skin, Dean shoved his hand up though the bars over Sam's arm, his hand taking the cut instead of Sam. He hissed at the pain, but did not remove his hand, the young man preferring to take the torture for his brother. Torrence glided back a few inches and looked down into Dean's rage filled eyes. The spirit studied the hunter curiously then glanced over into the other cage and was met with the same rage in Daniel's eyes. His dead eyes moved to the bleeding hand of the eldest brother that was pressed against Sam's side. He cocked his head then turned his attention back to Sam. He glided forward and leaned over the weakly struggling young man.

"Why do you mean so much to these creatures? Why do they take the punishment meant for you? Where do you come from?" the spirit asked with true curiosity.

Sam glared up at the spirit, but remained silent. Torrence stared down at him for several more moments before he once again brought the scalpel down onto Sam's stomach. Sam cried out as the blade cut deep, but gasped out in relief when the knife was suddenly pulled away, the spirit above him jerking it's head up, it's eyes staring intently at the ceiling. Without warning, the spirit disappeared, the scalpel clanging against the bars before it dropped into Dean's cage. Dean stared down at the knife in shock, the hunter unable to believe their sudden luck. Without wasting another second, he grabbed the knife up and began cutting at the ropes that bound Sam's wrist to the top of his cage. After what seemed like ages, the wrist was freed, after which, Dean quickly handed the knife through the bars to Daniel who began to free Sam's other wrist, then his ankle. Daniel handed the knife back to Dean and soon, Sam's other ankle was loose. Sam groaned as he pushed himself up and off of the cages. He fell to his hands and knees, head drooped down, sweat soaked hair hanging in his eyes. Blood dripped to the floor beneath him as he fought the dizziness that washed over him.

"Sammy…you okay?" Daniel asked worriedly, his eyes darting quickly over to Dean before returning to his baby brother.

"Y-Yeah…I'm f-fine," Sam gasped as he leaned back onto his heels and turned to look at his brothers.

"I know you're hurting, little brother, but we need you to get us out of these cages. Can you do that?" Dean asked, voice thick with concern.

Sam nodded then dropped his eyes to the floor. He searched around the cages then scuttled to his left when he sighted his lock pick lying a few feet away. He grabbed the lock pick up from the floor, his hazel eyes darting around before he crawled to Daniel's cage. He fumbled with the pick, nearly dropping it, before he steadied his hands and went to work on the lock. It took a few minutes, but finally the lock disengaged and the cage door swung open. Daniel scrambled from the cage, the adrenaline coursing through him giving him a much needed strength boost. He reached for the lock pick and took it from Sam's trembling fingers then moved in front of Dean's cage. Sam pushed unsteadily to his feet and watched as Daniel worked the lock. He stumbled forward and steadied himself with a hand on one cage while Daniel worked to free Dean from his cage.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"

Dean looked up through the bars of his cage and met his baby brother's eyes. "Sammy…you have nothing to be sorry for. God, you found us, kid…"

"I screwed up…I…"

"Sam," Daniel started without looking up from his work. "We were going to die today…Torrence was going to kill us. You stopped him."

"I…"

"Sam! Look out!" Dean suddenly screamed right before Sam let out a startled cry. "No!"

Daniel jerked around, but was met with an empty room, his youngest brother nowhere to be seen. "Sammy!" he cried. He turned back to Dean and met wide, scared eyes. "Where is Sam, Dean? What happened?" he asked, his voice trembling as he worked frantically at the lock on Dean's cage.

"He…Torrence…he took him. He just appeared and then…then Sam was gone. I don't know how…I…he just took him," Dean answered numbly, green eyes wide with shock.

"Dean…"

"Get me the hell out of this cage! We gotta find Sammy…he…he won't survive Torrence's rage!" Dean shouted, the young man breaking free of his shock and grabbing the bars of the cage in a death grip.

Daniel nodded and went back to work on the lock. Within moments, the lock disengaged and the door swung open. Dean crawled from the cage and immediately pushed to his feet, the change in position causing him to sway as dizziness washed over him. He would have fallen if it hadn't been for Daniel reaching up to steady him. He shook his head to clear it then grasped Daniel's arms and helped the elder brother to his feet. Once he was sure that Daniel was steady on his feet, he leaned over and picked the shotgun that Sam had brought up from the floor and held it by his side. He headed for the pile of cut up clothing by the exam table and rummaged through Sam's jacket pockets, smiling when he came out with six salt cartridges. He turned to Daniel and smiled weakly. "You ready?" he asked. Daniel nodded as he stepped closer to his younger brother Both weak from exhaustion, hunger and thirst, the brothers literally held onto each other as they hurried across the laboratory and to the door leading to the upper floor. All weakness left them when from the floor above them they heard the pain filled cry of their baby brother. The scrambled up the steps, neither brother caring one bit that they were dressed only in their boxers. The only thing they cared about at the moment was getting to their brother before he became the next casualty of Dr. Torrence's insanity.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

John screeched to a halt, his truck hidden within the thick foliage just off the dirt road he had been speeding down. He was out of his vehicle before Caleb and Joshua had even rounded the corner. He waited impatiently for them to pull up beside him and even more impatiently while they exited Caleb's rig and pulled their gear from the back seat.

"Can you two get a move on!" John snapped as he paced in front of his truck. "Every second we waste, my boys are being hurt even more!"

"We're ready, Johnny…let's go," Caleb said as he warily eyed the agitated hunter.

"'bout damn time!" John hissed as he turned and began to stomp through the bushes.

"John, there may be authorities still around…you need to be quiet," Joshua called, his eyes ever on alert for any unwanted attention.

"Screw the authorities…they probably wouldn't know their asses from a hole in the ground anyway," John retorted.

Caleb and Joshua shared an exasperated look, but remained quiet as they followed behind John. John's pace never slowed, if anything it increased the closer they got to the abandoned complex of buildings that Sam had circled on the maps. Finally, the buildings came into view and it didn't take John long to find the building he was looking for. He stopped outside a door then turned to his friends. "Take this map," he said as he pulled a folded paper from his pocket and handed it to Caleb. "It's the spots Sam marked as most probable places for Torrence's body to be. My idea is they wouldn't have wanted to take him far…too many witnesses to worry about. They would have kept it close to the building, but in a place that didn't see many people around. I think this one right here is the first place you should look. You have to find him and fast…I don't know how much time we have."

"What're you going to do, Johnny?" Caleb asked.

"I'm finding my boys," John replied before slipping into the building and disappearing from sight.

Caleb and Joshua studied the map for a few seconds, looked around their surroundings then took off around the side of the building, both men praying that they weren't already too late to save the brothers who meant so much to them.

**That's it for now guys. Thank you all so much for sticking with me on this. Will be working on the next chapter of my other story and I'm really going to try to get it up soon. Take care all.**

**Cindy**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey all! Finally got the next chapter ready for you. Hope it's worth the wait. Thanks so much for the reviews and comments...and thanks for sticking with me on this. I'll be leaving for Chicago Con this friday, so I won't be working on either of my stories until I get back...lots to do this week. So...I'll let you get to the story.**

**Cindy**

Joshua surveyed the area at the backside of the building then looked down at Sam's map. Caleb watched as the older, taller hunter stepped a few feet to his left then slowly turned in a circle, his eyes glancing up from the map every few seconds. Suddenly, Joshua stopped and cocked his head. He narrowed his eyes and stared intently at one particular spot of the weed infested area. A rusted over bench sat in the center of the spot he was looking at and he shook his head at the simplicity of it. He walked forward and kicked over the bench then dropped down into a crouch. He glanced up and over his shoulder then back down at the map he still held in his hand.

"I think this is it, Caleb," Joshua said as he stood and turned to his friend.

"Are you sure? I mean, we don't have a lot of time," Caleb asked, his voice unsure.

"Well, Sam seems to think this spot is the best place to start, according to his map, and we both know how dead on that boy's instincts usually are. This spot is protected from outside view completely…it's the only place back here that is. I say we get digging and get this son of bitch toasted, huh?"

Caleb nodded and stepped up to his friend, handing him one of the shovels they had brought from his rig. The two began to dig, both working feverishly to get to the bones they hoped lay beneath the dank earth.

"I can't believe they'd put a bench over the guys body," Joshua grumbled as he continued to dig.

Caleb glanced over at him and grunted. "You think that's what they did?" he asked.

"I think, if there had been any pictures taken of this area back then, which I'm sure there weren't, that we'd see a nice little courtyard back here. A nice little spot to have a cigarette or eat your lunch, and I'd also bet that the little courtyard was put in right after the timeframe that Dr. Torrence disappeared. Real nice way to hide a grave don't you think?" Joshua answered with a huff.

"Shit…that's messed up. I mean, I guess I understand," Caleb grunted as he threw another shovelful of dirt behind him, "that the guy was screwed in the head and the army didn't want him associated with them, but to murder him and bury the body? Why didn't they just have him arrested?"

"I don't know…maybe they didn't want the embarrassment. They hired to the guy and then he starts murdering people? They probably didn't want that to be made public," Joshua replied.

Caleb nodded then placed his full attention on the task at hand. The two hunters dug for several minutes, both getting more frustrated with each shovelful of dirt that was cleared away revealing nothing but more dirt.

"Dammit! Doesn't look like the bastard's here! We've wasted all this time!" Joshua spat as he drove his shovel into the earth once again.

Caleb was just about to voice his agreement when suddenly, his shovel hit something that felt and sounded much different than the dirt. His heart nearly stopped when he looked down and saw the remnants of what must have once been a thick piece of green canvas. "Uh…Josh…I think I've found something," he said as he glanced up at his friend.

Joshua jerked his head up and met Caleb's eyes then lowered his gaze to the hole Caleb had dug. He wasted no time in joining his friend and together the two cleared away the earth from the canvas. Finally, they threw their shovels down and dropped to their knees beside the human sized hole. Caleb pulled a knife from the sheath at his hip and hurriedly began to cut at the old, decayed canvas. Both hunters sucked in deep breaths when as they parted the edges of the cut canvas, a skull came into view.

"Son of a bitch…the kid was right," Joshua whispered as he glanced over at Caleb.

"Yeah," Caleb said in response, the younger hunter in too much shock to say much else.

Joshua reached up and lightly punched Caleb's arm then pushed back onto his heels. "Come on, let's get this show on the road," he said.

Together the two hunters cleared the canvas away, revealing the skeleton of who they hoped was Dr. Torrence. Any clothing that the deceased had been wearing was too far gone to tell, and the shoes gave no hint as to the bones identity. Caleb brought his gaze up towards the skull then stopped when something stuck between the ribcage and arm caught his eye. He reached down and picked the object up between his fingers. He turned it over and nodded then turned and looked at Joshua. Joshua took the object and smiled. Held in his fingers was a dulled namebadge and engraved on the namebadge was all the proof they needed. Joshua tossed the namebadge back into the hole then pushed up to his feet. Caleb followed suit, then both hunters hurried to the duffel bag they'd brought with them. They pulled salt, lighter fluid and matches from the bag then came back to the hole. Caleb picked up his shot gun and glanced over the clearing. He'd expected the doctor's spirit to show up while they were digging and was surprised that it didn't happen. He didn't want to take the chance that he'd show up now, before they had the chance to burn the bones.

"Let's light this bastard up before he shows and throws us around, okay?" Caleb said nervously.

Joshua chuckled as he opened up the salt and dumped it over the body. Next, he opened the lighter fluid and began to drench the bones. "Oh, he's gonna be lit up alright," he said as he pulled a match from the box and glanced over at his friend. "He's gonna be lit up real good."

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

John hurried down dusty corridors, dark eyes following the faint traces of footsteps left in the dust by whom he could only assume were his sons. He wanted to run, could barely keep himself from taking off into a sprint, but he knew he could easily miss something if he went too fast. He kept a steady pace, rocksalt loaded shotgun held out before him, dark eyes scanning each open doorway before moving on to the next. Frustration began to pull at his already frayed nerves as each room came up empty. He hadn't thought the building he'd entered had been this big, but the endless maze of hallways and rooms was really beginning to piss him off and he almost wished for Torrence's spirit to appear just so he could shoot something. At least, he thought, if the spirit to try to attack him, it wouldn't be hurting his sons. "Come on, you bastard…come get me," he hissed as he turned another corner and came upon yet another long hallway. He had just started down the hallway when suddenly, a shout that was very nearly a scream carried down to him and he immediately threw caution to the wind and took off down the hallway toward the voice he'd know anywhere…the terrified voice of his youngest son.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Dean made it to the top step first, followed closely by Daniel. They ran toward the cries of their brother and burst into the office that had once been Dr. Torrences. Their hearts filled with hatred and fury when they saw the spirit of the doctor had Sam pressed up against the wall, his ethereal hand gripped firmly around Sam's throat. Sam's hands clawed at the hand, his feet kicking madly at the wall and the spirit, but his efforts were useless against the spirit's supernatural strength. Dean narrowed his eyes and brought the shotgun up, the hurriedly pushed two shells into the chamber. He stepped forward, his gaze not missing how Sam's struggling weakened with every passing second. He was acutely aware that if he shot at Torrence, Sam would be hit by rocksalt as well, but better to have welts than to be dead he thought as he brought the gun up and took aim. Just as Dean was about to pull the trigger, Torrence spun his head around and screamed in rage at the two hunters. He jerked Sam away from the wall and tossed him to the side then turned on Dean and Daniel. Both brothers were sent flying just as the gun was ripped from Dean's grip and thrown in the opposite direction.

Dean hit the floor with a thud, the young hunter nearly blacking out as his head bounced off the dusty, wooden floorboards. He blinked his eyes and glanced dazedly around and finally found Daniel lying perfectly still a mere three feet away. He groaned as he rolled onto his stomach and began to drag himself toward his older brother. Suddenly, the spirit of Dr. Torrence took form over Daniel's body, the entity grinning evilly down at the unconscious hunter.

"No…stay away from him," Dean called weakly as he reached out for Daniel's extended, limp hand.

Torrence laughed as he began to reach for the helpless hunter. Suddenly, a shot rang out and Torrence screamed as his form disintegrated before Dean's eyes. Dean looked up and saw Sam standing across the room, shotgun held at the ready, arms shaking as his wide eyes swept the room. Sam walked on wobbly, unsteady legs across the room then stopped as he reached his fallen brothers. His hazel eyes met Dean's before they moved to Daniel. The eldest brother groaned as he began to come to and Sam nodded when Dean finally reached Daniel's hand. He narrowed his gaze then turned and placed himself between his brothers and the rest of the room. He widened his stance and prepared for the inevitable return of Torrence's demented spirit. It wasn't long before the air in front of him crackled and the doctor's form rematerialized and glided quickly toward him. Sam got off another shot and the doctor disappeared, a scream carrying on the air before quickly dying away.

"Dean! Can you get him up? We need to get the hell out of here!" Sam shouted as he dashed across the room to retrieve more salt rounds that Dean had dropped when he'd been thrown. He loaded the shells then looked back to see that Daniel was indeed on his feet, but his relief was shortlived when he saw the doctor appear behind his brothers. "Dean! Drop!" he screamed, the pulled off a shot as Dean pulled Daniel back down to the floor. The spirit disappeared and Sam ran to his brothers. "We're never going to get out of here…there's only one more shell," he said as he helped his brothers to their feet. "Dean…you have to get Danny out of here…I'll find a way to keep Torrence distracted," he continued.

Dean's and Daniel's heads both shot up with that. "Are you freakin' crazy! You think we're going to leave you behind? No way, Sammy!" Dean snapped angrily.

"Dean, there isn't time for this! Danny's hurt…you both are. I can keep him busy long enough…"

"No, Sam. We stay together," Daniel said weakly as he looked up into his baby brother's eyes.

"Danny…please," Sam pleaded.

"No…we stick together. All for one and one for all," Dean said.

"Really? The Three Muskateers? Seriously?" Sam asked with a hint of a chuckle.

"No, Sammy…the Three Winchesters," Dean answered.

"I…NOOOO!" Sam screamed as he watched Torrence materialize behind Dean and before he could react, his brother was lifted from the floor and thrown away from him and Daniel. He saw Daniel turn, but then watched in horror as he too was thrown, his body hitting the desk and sliding off the other side. Sam turned, lips turned up into a snarl and glared at the grinning spirit. "You son of a bitch…nobody hurts my family!" he hissed, his arms drawing the shot gun up.

Torrence cocked his head and eyed Sam curiously. "Family? Is that what you call them? Family?" the spirit asked. "You…creatures do not know what family is. I know what you are…I can see past the smoke screen."

"We are brothers. We are not what you think we are and I will do anything to keep my brothers safe from you!" Sam shouted, his finger shaking as it pressed on the trigger of the shotgun.

"You can't keep them safe from me…you're one insignificant little bug. You can do nothing to stop me…I will finish them and because you have been such a nuisance to me, I will make you suffer like none of the other filthy creatures have," Torrence hissed before he suddenly moved toward Dean's still body and reached down for the helpless hunter and wrapped his hand around his exposed throat.

"Noooooooo!" Sam screamed as he pulled off the final shot from the shotgun. His eyes widened in disbelief when Torrence's form flickered out of view but reappeared a few seconds later, inches from him. He took a quick, instinctive step back, but unfortunately for him, he wasn't quick enough.

**Dun, dun, dun! Another cliffie? :D Let me know what you think please...I love hearing from you all! Take care and loves to everyone.**

**Cindy**


	9. Chapter 9

**No explanation or excuse...just a mind that did not want to cooperate with me. Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments...you never cease to amaze me! On with the story!**

**Cindy**

John skidded to a halt outside the door where he was sure he'd heard Sam's scream come from. When he heard a muffled cry come from behind the door, he burst into the room and literally growled when he saw his youngest son suspended in the air, the spectral hand of Dr. Torrence wrapped tightly around his throat. Sam clawed weakly at the spirit's hands, but he was already beginning to succumb to the lack of air. John lifted his shotgun and with only a quick thought of the pain the rocksalt would cause his son, he fired at the spirit. Torrence screamed in rage as he dropped Sam to the floor and spun toward John. John gasped involuntarily when the spirit failed to disappear, but merely flickered briefly as it turned in his direction. John's dark eyes moved to his youngest son's struggling form on the dirty floor then quickly to his other two sons who were both pushing themselves up from the floor, their eyes staring dazedly at the scene before them, then he curled his lips into a snarl and he once more looked up at the long dead doctor.

"Nobody hurts my boys…nobody," John hissed as he moved toward the grinning spirit.

"Ahhh…so you are the leader of these…creatures," Dr. Torrence said, his glowing eyes dropping to the young man who lay groaning at his feet. He leaned over, his transparent hand reaching for the mop topped head.

"Don't you touch him!" John shouted, the enraged father lifting his shotgun to his shoulder and taking aim.

The spirit chuckled as it looked up at John, his fingers burying in Sam's unruly hair. He fisted his fingers in the messy locks and effortlessly lifted Sam from the floor, the young man moaning in pain as he knelt at the spirit's feet, his hazel eyes seeking those of his father. John nodded slightly, the move telling his youngest that he was not going to let any further harm come his way. John glared when the spirit holding his son spoke again.

"As you've already seen, your weapon is of no consequence to me. It seems as I've built up a resistance to your primitive ammunition," Dr. Torrence hissed as he viciously yanked Sam completely to his feet. He grinned when all three elder Winchesters growled at the mistreatment of their youngest member. "This one…he is so important to you all. I wonder why that is," the evil doctor continued.

John stepped forward, shotgun still at the ready, and narrowed his eyes. "He is my son…they are all my sons and they all hold equal importance to me. Nobody hurts them and survives. You'll pay for the pain you've caused them and all the others before them," John ground out, his eyes never leaving the spirit even as he felt his two elder sons step up beside him.

Dr. Torrence cocked his head, his empty eyes moving from one hunter to the next. The devotion to the specimen he held by first the two former captives and now the older creature fascinated him and he couldn't wait to get all of them back in his laboratory where he knew that he could get the information he had sought for so long. All he had to do was use the one to force the others to talk. A light suddenly seemed to go on in the spirits warped mind and he smiled at the three angry hunters.

"I understand now," the spirit said as it glanced at the weak young man in its grip then back to the Winchesters. "This is your youngest…that is why you are more protective of him. That is why you took some of his punishment. Interesting," the doctor trailed off as he began to glide away from the hunters, Sam stumbling back with him.

"Stop! Let him go!" Daniel commanded, his voice strong despite the many injuries he'd suffered.

"You better listen to my brother you son of a bitch! Let. Him. Go!" Dean shouted, his green eyes staring fiercely at the grinning spirit.

"Or you'll do what? Your weapon can't hurt me. I think that as long as I have this one, you will all do exactly what I want you to do. You will tell me what I want to know or he will suffer more than he has ever suffered before!" the spirit suddenly bellowed.

"N-Not likely," Sam said, his voice low and weak, but audible to all those in the room.

The three elder Winchesters turned their gazes to Sam, their eyes holding a deep sadness at his softly spoken statement. They knew how much he had suffered in the past, how he had been tortured by first Michael Wilcox then his demented son. They also knew how strong he was, how he had not only survived what had been done to him, but had fought back and beaten his torturers. John smiled smugly up at the spirit, who cocked his head once again, this time not with confidence, but with growing confusion.

"You will not hurt my son again. You are through, Torrence. Do you really think that I came here alone?" John asked, his dark eyes sparkling as he could somehow sense that the end was near.

"What are you talking about, creature?" the spirit hissed as it suddenly moved forward, Sam crying out as he yanked forward, his bare feet dragging across the dirty floor.

"You're about to be sent to hell you bastard! Right where you belong! All this time you've been so intent on what's right in front of you that you couldn't sense what was going on beyond this office door!" John shouted fiercely.

Dr. Torrence jerked his head to the side, his eyes widening as he finely sensed two more presences, further away, but dangerous beyond comprehension. He screeched as he flew forward, Sam's body squeezed tightly up to his, the young man gasping as the air was forced from his lungs.

"No!" Dean screamed as he lunged at the spirit, but driven back when suddenly, Dr. Torrence was engulfed in spectral flames.

The spirit screamed, its captive freed as it clawed at the flames then in a bright flash, imploded and was gone. Sam dropped with a heavy thud to the floor, his hazel eyes staring up as the spirit was snuffed out. He closed his eyes on a sigh, relief flooding his body as he realized it was over. He opened his eyes when he felt strong hands reach beneath him and roll him gently onto his back.

"Sammy…stay with us here, kiddo," John's worried voice called.

Sam lifted his eyes and smiled weakly. "I'm here, Dad…I'm okay," he whispered. "Dean? Danny?"

John looked up at the two worried faces of his other sons and nodded. "They're right here…they're going to be just fine," he said as he looked back down at his youngest son.

Sam suddenly frowned as he turned his eyes away. "I…I'm sorry, Dad. I…I…"

"Sorry for what, kiddo?" John asked, his brows knitted in confusion.

"I messed up…again. I tried to save 'em, but…but I just...I…"

"Hey…hey, stop that, Sammy," Daniel said as he crouched down next to his baby brother. "You did save us. If it weren't for you, we…" he continued, but stopped when Sam's eyes fluttered shut and his head fell to the side. "Sammy?"

Dean dropped down next to Daniel. "Dad? What…"

"He's okay, Dean. Just passed out from exhaustion and pain I'm sure," John interrupted as he glanced up at his boys. "You two look like you're about to join him."

"I'm good, Dad," Daniel said before glancing over at Dean, his eyes moving over his brother's barely clothed body. He frowned at the injuries to his younger brother, but smiled when he met Dean's eyes. "Dean's good too," he said.

John assessed both of the young men then shook his head. "Where are your clothes?" he asked, new anger filling him at the thought of his boys being stripped and tortured by the spirit of Dr. Torrence.

Daniel shrugged and glanced back at the door that led downstairs to the laboratory where they had been held. "Down in his lab somewhere I guess," he answered. "He cut them off so they're useless."

John nodded then turned when Caleb and Joshua rushed into the room, the two hunters skidding to a halt, their eyes taking in the scene before them. Caleb's eyes widened as he caught Sam's unconscious form and he stepped forward reluctantly. "Half pint?" he asked hesitantly.

"He's okay, Caleb. Just passed out," John said with a tired smile.

"Thank God," Caleb said with a relieved sigh.

"We need to get the boys out of here. You two help Danny and Dean and I'll get Sam," John said as he rolled back onto his heels and slid hid hands beneath Sam's body.

"Dad, we're fine. We don't need help," Dean protested, but when he tried to stand, his legs refused to cooperate. He shook his head as Caleb helped him to his feet and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Thanks, Caleb," he said softly, face flushed with embarrassment.

"No problem, kid," Caleb replied.

Joshua moved around the pair and helped Daniel up then watched as John lifted his youngest son from the floor. Sam stirred then looked up into his father's eyes. "D-Dad…I can walk," he said, his voice a little stronger than it had been before.

"Are you sure, son?" John asked.

"Yeah…I'm sure."

"Okay…I'll let you down, but you need to let me hold on to you."

"Okay, Dad."

John carefully set Sam down, his strong arm immediately wrapping around his youngest son's waist. When Sam seemed stable enough on his legs, John nodded at the other hunters and together, they slowly walked their injured from the room. It took some time, and several stops along the way to let the brothers rest, but finally all three young men were loaded into Caleb's SUV with water bottles in hand and blankets draped over their shivering bodies. John stood outside the open back door of the SUV and watched his boys as they huddled together, then turned to his friends.

"Get them back to the motel and start getting them cleaned up. I won't be long," John said as he shut the door as quietly as he could and started back toward the complex.

"Johnny, where are you going?" Caleb asked.

"I need to go back and clear any trace of the boys from that laboratory. I need to find their clothes and weapons. Whatever could possibly lead authorities to them. I won't be long," John answered before taking off toward the trees and disappearing from sight.

Joshua and Caleb watched him go then turned to each other and shrugged. They hurried to the SUV and climbed inside, both men eager to get their friends back to the safety of their motel room where they could access their injuries and begin the task of patching them up. Caleb glanced into the rearview mirror and smiled sadly at the scene behind him. Sam was in the middle, sandwiched between his brothers, and even though Daniel and Dean had been at the mercy of the spirit for far longer than Sam had been, his brothers were practically falling over themselves making sure he was as comfortable as he could be under the circumstances. When Sam finally told the two older siblings that he was fine and to stop fussing, they turned their attention, or most of it anyway, to each other.

"Why don't you three just relax and get a little sleep. We'll be at the motel soon then we can get you into real beds…"

"What? Wait…Sammy and Dean need a hospital," Daniel objected as he turned to stare at Caleb's eyes reflected in the mirror.

"Like you don't need a hospital, Danny? That asshole tortured you just as much as he did me and Sammy," Dean snapped.

"I don't need a hospital…I'm fine, but I think Dean and Danny should go," Sam said, his voice hushed, eyes glazed with pain and exhaustion.

Caleb shook his head and turned around to face the three brothers. "Look, why don't we just go back to the motel then we can decide if any of you need a hospital. We'll let your daddy get a look at you all first then he can say what he wants to do," he said.

"Sam might have a concussion. That bastard hit his head pretty hard and…"

"And he threw you and Danny across his office more than once. You were both out cold. I'm not concussed…just tired," Sam interrupted.

"You've all seen better days," Joshua said as he turned and eyed the three young men. "We'll just do what your father asked and let him decide if anybody goes to the hospital. In the meantime, I can determine if any of you have concussions or whatnot. Now sit back and be quiet. We'll be at the motel soon."

The three Winchesters stared at Joshua for a few moments before all three nodded their heads and relaxed back against the seat back. Caleb smiled and turned around in his seat. He started the SUV and pulled onto the weed covered dirt road that led back to the main road. With watchful eyes, he drove on until finally they had pulled onto the highway and were headed back to civilization. They would have their turn to relax once all three young men were cleaned up, patched up, fed and sleeping soundly. Until then, and until John returned, they were responsible and neither man took his responsibility lightly, especially when it came to the three Winchester brothers.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

John eased his way down the steps at the back of Dr. Torrence's office. He was certain he would find the place where his sons had been held captive and hoped that he would be able to find their clothing and any weapons they had brought with them. He came to a door and pushed it open and was immediately hit with the pungent smell of blood and death. His eyes scanned the room before him and came to rest on the metal examination table in the center of the room. Blood coated it's surface, mostly dried, but some still slightly tacky. The floor beneath and around the table was also red with blood and John had to hold his hand over his mouth to keep from gagging. This was his boy's blood, of this he had no doubt and anger boiled within him. He narrowed his eyes then turned to his right where another open doorway led to another room beyond. He walked toward the room and stopped in the doorway. Cages lined the walls with two right inside the doorway.

"Sick bastard," John hissed under his breath as he realized that the cages must have held the spirit's victims, his sons included.

John walked up to the two nearest cages and noticed the fresh blood on the bars that ran across the tops of both. There was more fresh blood pooled on the floor of each cage and John could only imagine what had gone down here. The cut ropes attached to the cage tops only served to fuel his rage. John shook his head then began to scan the floor of the room. Almost immediately, he spotted the lock pick on the floor and he squatted down to pick it up. He recognized it as Sam's.

"So this was their prison," John whispered as he dropped his head and closed his eyes.

John pocketed the lock pick then pushed to his feet. He searched the room high and low, but could not find any more of his son's belongings. In the laboratory, stuffed within a hole in the wall, he struck gold. Inside were the remnants of his son's clothes and a duffel bag containing rock salt, lighter fluid and other small weapons. He couldn't be sure exactly what his sons had brought, but this was a start. After stuffing the cut up clothing into the duffel, John made a thorough search of the rest of the room and when he was satisfied that nothing belonging to his boys remained, he made his way back to the steps and ascended back up to the doctor's office. There he retrieved the sawed-off shot gun and with one last glance around the room he stepped into the hallway and hurried from the building. He needed to get to his boys…needed to make sure they were alright and once they were well on their way to recovery, he would rip them all new ones for scaring him so deeply.

**Well what do you know...no cliffie! Yay! So I would guess that you have figured out that this story is almost done and you would be right. John's pretty upset...to say the least. The boys are going to get an earful when they're better, that's for sure. Anyway, hope you liked the chapter and thank you so much for being so incredibly patient with me! Love to you all and...HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**

**Cindy**


	10. Chapter 10

**So, figured it was about time I get another chapter done on this one! And I figured what better time than right before Christmas! Hope you enjoy.**

**Cindy**

"If you three don't get your butt's onto those beds so Josh and I can fix you up, I'm gonna start tanning hides!" Caleb spat in exasperation as he glanced from one stubborn Winchester to the next.

"You're gonna tan our hides? Really?" Dean scoffed, an amused smirk on his tired, handsome face.

Caleb lifted his arms then dropped them back to his sides in a show of defeat. He glanced over at Joshua and scowled. The older hunter was leant up against the wall chuckling at his friend's predicament. "What?" Josh asked when Caleb narrowed his eyes and growled.

"A little help would be nice, asshole!" Caleb hissed.

Joshua laughed out loud as he pushed away from the wall. "And what would you have me do, brother? You know these three. If they don't want to listen, they aren't going to listen," he said.

"Look at 'em! Sammy's bleeding all over the place and the other two look like death warmed over! John's gonna murder us if he comes back and finds them anywhere but lying down on those beds! And there you are being useless!" Caleb cried.

Dean and Daniel, at Caleb's words, dropped the grins from their faces and turned to their baby brother. Sam was standing at the foot of one bed, his body swaying as he watched them closely. He seemed almost unaware of what was going on around him. Daniel rushed to his brother's side and gently grasped his arms.

"Hey, Sammy…you need to lay down so we can get you patched up, kiddo," Daniel said as he eased Sam down onto the end of the bed.

"No," Sam cried as he attempted to push back onto his feet. "I…I'm fine. You and Dean…you're worse off than me! You…you…"

Dean joined his brothers and helped Daniel keep Sam down. "Sam…look at me. Just look at me okay?" he said as he took Sam's chin in his hand and lifted the young man's face. "Danny and I are fine. Tired and hungry, but we're fine. You…"

"You were tortured…he…he hurt you both. You're not fine," Sam argued weakly.

"You were tortured too, kiddo…very recently and you're still bleeding," Daniel said as he checked his little brother over.

Sam looked down at the hands that tenderly poked at the wounds on his torso. He lifted his hands from the bed and took one of Daniel's in his. "Your hands…they're all cut up," he whispered, then he looked over at Dean and tears filled his eyes. "Yours are too," he said. "You both were hurt protecting me when it was supposed to be me protecting you. Some brother I am," he added softly, his voice barely more than a whisper.

Caleb and Joshua looked at each other, neither man quite knowing what to do at. They felt like intruders at the moment, but they knew they couldn't leave the brothers unattended…not in their current condition. They stayed back and allowed the brothers the time they needed to work the situation out and then hopefully they would be able to begin working on getting them cleaned up and mended. They both turned back to the brothers when they heard Dean speak.

"Sammy…you're the best brother either one of us could ever hope to have. If it weren't for you, we'd be dead now. You saved us."

"But…"

"Dean's right, kiddo. You found us and…and even after you'd been tortured, you still protected us…kept that bastard Torrence away and bought us all the time we needed for Dad and the guys to get there and end him for good. You're the hero here, Sammy," Daniel said, a warm smile gracing his face when Sam turned glistening hazel eyes his way.

"'m not a hero…just did what I had to do," Sam whispered.

"Well, you're a hero to us so you may as well get used to it," Dean said as he gently took Sam's arm and together with Daniel, eased the youngest sibling up the bed until he was laid back, his head resting on a flat, dingy pillow.

Dean and Daniel sat on either side of Sam, both looking like they could pass out at any moment, but neither eager to leave their baby brother's side. It was only when they heard someone loudly clear their throats that they looked up and saw Caleb standing at the foot of the bed.

"What?" Dean asked dismissively.

"Both of you on the other bed. Josh is going to work on getting Sam patched up…that leaves you with me," Caleb commanded.

"We can patch Sammy up," Dean responded.

Caleb's face began to turn red, bringing much delight to Dean. The middle Winchester brother chuckled as he turned his attention back to his baby brother. He looked up again when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The smile left his face when he saw Joshua staring down at him.

"Dean, I get it…I really do, but do you really think you and Danny are the best choices right now to stitch Sam up? Both of you are shaking more than hairless Chihuahuas in December. You could cause him more pain than is necessary…plus, he isn't going to relax until he knows you two are being taken care of. I'll work on him while Caleb works on you two…you'll be able to see everything I'm doing and I promise you, I'll be as gentle as I can possibly be," Joshua explained, an understanding look in his eyes.

Dean glanced over at Daniel who gave him a short nod then looked back up at the older hunter. "Okay, Josh…I guess you're right…just…don't hurt him…please," he said hesitantly.

"You know I won't hurt him, squirt," Joshua answered with a smile.

"What the frickin' hell!" Caleb cried in exasperation. "I've been trying to get those two down for how long now and all they do is laugh then you…you say a few pretty little words and they're like scrambling to do your bidding! That ain't right…it just ain't right!"

"What can I say? Some of us have the touch and some of us don't, my friend," Joshua responded with a grin and a wink.

"You suck!" Caleb spat under his breath before turning his attention onto the three brothers.

Dean chuckled as he turned back around and looked down at his little brother. He smiled when he saw that Sam was out for the count. He tenderly brushed the hair from Sam's eyes then slowly stood and moved to the other bed, dropping down on the side nearest Sam's bed with a deep sigh. He watched as Daniel gave Sam's hand a squeeze before he too stood and walked around the beds to the opposite side of Dean. Once both brothers were stretched out on the bed, Joshua and Caleb got to work. Hot water was brought from the bathroom along with all of the washcloths, hand towels and towels. First aid kits were laid out beside each bed, both older hunters working with experienced precision as they tended to their patients many wounds. Once all cuts were stitched and all burns were cleaned and bandaged, all bumps and bruises iced, all three brothers were given pain pills and within minutes were in deep, healing slumber.

Joshua and Caleb, exhausted and weary, took up vigil beside each bed and waited for John to return, then he could take over and they could get some much needed, and deserved rest.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

John pulled up outside of the motel room, cut the engine to his truck and leaned back in his seat. He closed his eyes and took a deep, shaky breath. This time had been close…way too close and John still hadn't shaken the fear that had enveloped him from the moment he learned that he was in danger of losing all three of his boys. He was scared, angry and relieved all at once and the warring emotions within him threatened to tear him apart. He was so angry at Dean and Daniel for getting themselves into a situation without any back up and at Sam for defying Caleb and Joshua and taking off half cocked to rescue his wayward brothers, but along with that anger came a deep sense of pride in his boys. Dean and Daniel had put the safety and well being of someone they didn't know ahead of their own safety and had done what they felt was needed to try and save him and Sam…Sam had proven in true Winchester style that he would do anything and everything within his power to protect his family…a trait John had never had to instill in his sons…it just came naturally to all three of them. The pride in his sons did not however dispel the anger…or the fear. John was still determined to let each one of his boys know exactly how he felt about their risky actions, but for right now, all he wanted to do was get into the room and see for himself that they were going to be okay.

John sighed deeply then pushed open the door to his truck. He trudged to the door and lightly gave it a few quick knocks. He smiled wearily when Joshua opened the door and stepped aside to allow him entry. His dark eyes immediately found his boys all sound asleep on the two beds and he nodded appreciatively at his two comrades. "How are they?" he asked as he moved to take a seat in the chair next to Sam's bed.

"Stubborn as always, but their wounds are all cleaned and taken care of…no sign of infection, but we'll need to keep a watch out," Joshua answered tiredly.

John looked up and smiled. "You guys are beat, I know…and I hate to ask this, but…"

"We can go get the Impala, John…no problem," Caleb interrupted as he stood and moved to stand next to Joshua.

John nodded and brushed his hand over his face. "I appreciate it…everything you've done for the boys. I can't thank you enough," he said. "Once you get back, why don't you get yourselves another room and get some rest…you both look like you could use it."

"You sure you don't need us the help watch over the boys?" Joshua asked.

"No, I can handle it…you guys did the hard stuff and now you deserve rest. I'll give you a call if I need anything," John answered.

"Okay…sounds good," Caleb said.

The two hunters slipped on their coats and headed toward the door. They stopped when John called out to them. "You may need these. Not sure if they left the keys in the car or what," he said as he pulled a set of keys from his jacket pocket and tossed them to Joshua.

"You keep a spare set of keys for the Impala?" Caleb asked.

"Yep….never know when you may need 'em," John answered with a grin.

Joshua nodded toward John then turned back and opened the door. Once he and Caleb had shut the door behind themselves, John turned and looked down at his youngest son. He pulled the blankets back from Sam's bare torso and lifted the bandages to inspect his friend's handiwork. Satisfied that all looked good, he checked his son's wrists then pulled the covers back up over his chest. He stood and moved to the other bed and methodically checked each of his other son's wounds. Once his inspection was complete, he walked to the coffee maker and made himself a fresh pot of strong coffee. He was in for a long vigil and he would need all of the coffee he could drink to stay awake and alert for his boys. Once the coffee was done and he'd poured himself a cup, he walked between the two beds and planted himself on the floor, his back leaning up against the nightstand that divided the beds. He took a long swallow of the hot coffee then set the cup on the floor between his legs. He laid his head back against the stand, closed his eyes and sighed. He could hear the soft breathing of his sons and it helped to calm him…to let him know that as close as he'd come, he hadn't lost them…that his reasons for drawing breath were beaten and battered, but still alive and still kicking. That was all he needed…all he ever needed.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x

John jerked awake, his blurry eyes scanning the now semi-dark room for what had startled him. He cursed himself for falling asleep as he hurriedly got to his feet and listened. He turned toward Sam's bed when he heard a soft, muffled cry. Sam's head was turned, his face buried in the extra pillow on his bed and John could tell by the way his legs were jerking under the blankets that his son was in the grips of a nightmare. He groaned as he pushed up from the floor then stretched his back out before easing down on the edge of Sam's bed.

"Sammy? Hey, kiddo…wake up," John called as he gave Sam's shoulder a gentle shake. He turned when he heard mumbling from the other bed, but was relieved to see that neither of his older boys had awakened. He turned back to Sam and shook his shoulder again. Sam's eyes flew open as he sucked in a startled breath. "It's okay, Sam…it's me…it's Dad," John said soothingly as he brushed the sweat soaked bangs from Sam's forehead.

Sam looked up and blinked his eyes a few times then instantly calmed when he realized who was sitting over him. "Dad…I…sorry for waking you," he whispered, his voice thick from sleep.

"No, Sammy…you didn't wake me. You okay?" John responded comfortingly.

"Uh…yeah…I'm fine…I just…I…"

"You were having a nightmare. You want to talk about it?" John watched as Sam swallowed deeply and brushed a shaky hand through his tangled hair. The young man turned his head away and sighed. "Sam?" John prompted, his large hand gently gripping Sam's arm.

"It…it was Wilcox," Sam whispered as he turned back to face his father.

John closed his eyes and took a calming breath. He opened them again and gazed down into his youngest son's wide, hazel eyes. "Which one, Sammy?" he asked.

Sam licked his lips and absently lifted his fingers to his chest, to the point where under his tee shirt the scar from two different bite marks was. "Both of them," he answered softly.

John cursed under his breath and shifted closer to his son's side, his hip touching Sam's arm ever so slightly. "How long, Sam?"

Sam shrugged as he shifted his gaze to the deeply shadowed ceiling above him. "They haven't really stopped. Not completely at least," he answered.

"Why didn't you tell me? Or your brothers for that matter?" John asked as he gazed down at his son's face.

"I didn't want to worry you guys. I'm fine, Dad…really. It's just when I get stressed out or overly tired. I don't have them all of the time and they're getting less intense as time goes by," Sam replied, the young man once again shifting his gaze until he was looking up at his father. "Please don't tell Danny and Dean. You know they'll freak and it's really not a big deal," he added hastily.

John sighed as he absently brushed his fingers up and down Sam's arm. "I guess I was foolish to think that you'd ever be totally free of those bastards. I just…I want so badly for you to be happy, Sammy, and…"

"I am happy, Dad….really. They're just nightmares…nothing I can't handle. They're dead and I know they can't hurt me ever again. You don't need to worry about me," Sam said sleepily.

"I do worry about you, son…that won't ever change. The times I've almost lost you…it never leaves me either and…and this last stunt you pulled…you…well, we'll have that discussion once you and your brothers are up and healed. Now, go back to sleep. I'll be right here beside you so don't you worry about a thing, kiddo…okay?"

Sam nodded lightly, hazel eyes glistening in the moonlight that filtered through the thin curtains into the room. "Okay, Dad, and…I'm sorry for scaring you…I had to…"

"Just sleep, Sammy…we'll talk about this later," John interrupted. He pulled the twisted blankets free from Sam's legs and pulled them up over his chest before lightly patting Sam's arm. He smiled when Sam's eyes slowly slid shut and when the young man's breaths evened out in sleep, he pulled his legs up onto the bed, kicked off his boots and settled next to his son, his back resting against the headboard. He didn't want to lose contact with Sam, as much for himself as for the boy. He glanced over at the two young men in the other bed to make sure they were still sleeping restfully and when he saw that they were, he smiled slightly and took a deep breath.

"These boys, Mary…what am I gonna do with them?" John asked softly into the darkness, his fingers absently twisting the wedding band on his left ring finger. He stayed up the rest of the night, watching over his boys and listening with the deepest love imaginable to the sounds of their breathing and wondering how he could ever carry on without them.

**Awww, some daddy Winchester love for our boys. One more chapter to go guys. Thanks so much for reading and sending me such lovely comments. Love you all soooo much! Take care...Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year to you :D**

**Cindy**


	11. Chapter 11

**Well guys, I finally got this chapter done...and, its the final chapter. Thank you all so much for sticking with me and for offering such wonderful reviews. I'm not going to go on and on and on...you all know how much I appreciate you. So, here you go :)**

**Cindy**

"Um, Dad…it's been like, three days…shouldn't you like be over this by now?" Dean asked warily, his green eyes watching as his father paced from one wall of the hotel room to the other. Caleb and Joshua had been sent off on a supplies gathering mission with instructions to take their time, leaving the Winchester family alone to 'talk' about what had happened days before.

John stopped and turned on his heels to face all three of his boys. Daniel and Dean sat on the end of one bed, Sam sat on the other. All three watched John nervously as he glared first at Dean, then at his other two sons. Finally, the Winchester patriarch folded his arms over his chest and took a deep breath.

"So, you think I should be over this? That I should have forgotten all about how you two went off willy nilly and got yourselves taken prisoner by a lunatic spirit? That you got your younger brother tortured and almost killed? I'm just supposed to be over how I almost lost all three of you? Is that it, Dean? 'Cause, you know…that's crap!" John spat, his dark eyes sparking with anger as he eyed his boys.

"I…I don't think he really meant it like that, Dad," Daniel spoke up as he pushed to his feet to stand in front of his father.

"Sit down, Daniel…and don't speak…not any of you. This is not a discussion. I will speak and you all will listen!" John hissed.

Daniel swallowed then backed up and sat down next to Dean. He glanced over to the other bed where Sam sat, his head down, eyes on the floor. He jerked his eyes back around when John loudly cleared his throat.

"You will look at me and only me! " John snapped as he glanced at each young man, his gaze landing on the drooped head of his youngest son. "Sam, eyes front and center…now!" he hissed. He cringed when Sam lifted his eyes, their hazel depths filled with fear and misery. In his heart, all he wanted to do was embrace all three and tell them how much he loved them…how much almost losing them nearly killed him, but his head was taking lead at the moment and his head was spitting mad. "Now…I want to know something. Have you all completely forgotten your training? Since when do we go into a hunt without back up? Without knowing exactly what we're up against?"

"Uh…we…" Dean started, only to be cut off by his fuming father.

"Did I say you could speak? Did I give the okay to open your mouth?"

"You asked…"

"Zip it, Dean! I'll let you know when I want you to answer."

Dean pursed his lips, but he refused to lose eye contact with his father. Once John was satisfied that his sons would remain silent, he began his tirade again. "You two know better than to go into a hunt without me or another hunter to back you up. You knew Caleb and Josh were on their way yet you still went running in without so much as a plan as to how you were going take the spirit out. You didn't know where his body was buried, had absolutely no clue how to take him down, yet you still went in and got yourselves in a shitload of trouble! Then, to top it all off, you got your brother involved! I did not teach you to hunt this way! I taught you to be smart…to know what you were hunting backwards and forwards! Now, what do you have to say for yourselves!"

The three siblings sat silently, all afraid to utter one word. John eyed each one then rolled his eyes. "Daniel…speak," he said through gritted teeth.

Daniel looked up at his father then stood. "Dad, I know we went against our training. I know we should've waited for Caleb and Josh, but then that kid got taken and we…Dean and I, we knew we had a shot at saving him. We had to take it…we…"

"And did you save him?" John asked coolly.

Daniel swallowed then shook his head. "That's not fair, Dad. We tried. It was better than sitting in this hotel room and waiting knowing that kid was out there," he said in reply.

"So, it was better to get captured and tortured?" John asked. "News flash, Daniel…the kid still died! Did it ever occur to either of you two that had you waited, you may have been able to save him? That with Caleb and Josh's backup, you could have possibly found a way to take down Torrence and save the kid? That none of you needed to be hurt? That Sam would've been safe at Stanford instead of being cut up like a Christmas turkey?"

Dean shot to his feet, the young man no longer willing to sit and take his father's ranting. "We were that kid's only chance, Dad! You weren't here! You don't have a clue about what went on here. And we had no way of knowing that Sammy would come here! He didn't even know where we were!" he shouted as he squared off with his father.

"You know your brother, Dean! You know that once he figured out something was wrong, he'd find a way to find you! You and Daniel threw all of your training out the window and nearly got yourselves and Sam killed! And don't think there won't be a punishment for you two for getting Sam involved!" John shouted back, his face turning a deep red.

It was Sam's turn to shoot to his feet, his wide hazel eyes glancing over at his brothers before landing on his father. "No, Dad. It isn't their fault that I came here! If you're going to punish someone, punish me, but if you expect an apology from me, you won't get it! I'm not sorry I came! They're my brothers and if there is something I can do to protect them, I'm going to do it!" he cried.

"Sammy, it isn't your job to protect us…it's ours to protect you," Daniel said as he moved to his little brother's side.

Sam took a step back from Daniel and shook his head. "That's crap, Danny. I don't know how you can say that to me," he said.

John, wondering at exactly what point he lost control of the conversation, took a step toward his youngest son and gently gripped his arm. "Sam, you are the glue that holds us all together. If something happened and we lost you, we'd be in a world of hurt. You have to understand that," he said.

Sam sighed and looked up at his father. "I do understand that, but you all have to understand something too. You always say I'm the glue that holds us together…well, guess what…you all are my glue. Without all of you, I would have fallen apart a long time ago. I can't lose any of you so please don't expect me to sit back and let you protect me without me doing the same for you if I can! It's not fair!"

Sam looked at all three of his family members then dropped back down onto the foot of his bed. Dean walked over to the bed and sat down next to him, nudging the younger sibling with his shoulder and smiling when Sam looked up at him. "You know what, kiddo…you're right. We ask you to do something that goes completely against the person you are and it isn't fair. If someone told me I couldn't protect you, that I wasn't allowed, I'd clock 'em so fast their heads would be spinning and here we are, asking you to do just that. Because of you, because you didn't stay back and out of harms way, Danny and I are still alive, so…thank you. You saved us and that's all there is to it," he said softly.

Sam smiled appreciatively then nudged Dean right back. "Thanks, Dean," he said softly.

Dean nodded then looked up at his father. "Dad, I know Danny and I screwed up, but we only did what you would've done in the same situation. You told us to handle the hunt and we did the best we could."

"I didn't mean for you to go off half cocked without backup, Dean," John said tiredly. "Look, I understand your need to try and save that kid, but what did you expect to happen? You pretty much knew who the spirit was, but you didn't know where he was buried. You went into the situation, not to salt and burn him, but to find the kid and rescue him. When has that ever worked? The rules of dealing with a crazy ass spirit is to find the body and take care of it, period."

Daniel stepped up next to his brother and faced his father. "Dad, we knew Caleb and Josh were on their way. We left all of our notes so they could figure out where Torrence's body was buried. We knew the condition that those bodies were in when they were found…we knew what that poor kid was probably going through. We couldn't just sit and wait for the guys to get here. I made the call to move so if you're going to punish anyone, punish me," he said.

"No, Dad…" Dean started, but stopped when John raised his hand to silence him.

"I'm not going to punish you. I think you all have been through enough so as long as I have your promise that you will never do anything like this again…any of you…then we'll put it behind us and move on," John said as he looked to each son.

"So, you're not even going to punish us for getting Sammy involved?" Dean asked hopefully.

"Well, I was, but I've changed my mind. Sam's an adult and as much as it scares the crap out of me, I know that we can't expect him to sit back and do nothing when his family is in danger. And, I know how stubborn the little knucklehead is. I do however expect Sam to be more responsible. No running off without telling anyone and if you lie to any of us, Caleb and Josh included, there will be hell to pay…do I make myself clear?" John responded, his dark eyes narrowing on his fidgeting youngest son.

Sam looked up through the dark fringe of his bangs and nodded. "Yes, sir…I understand…and, I'm sorry," he said softly.

John smiled as he stepped forward and ruffled the young man's hair. "You better be," he said gruffly. "Now, let's get our stuffed packed so we can hit the road. You two take Sammy back to Stanford then head toward Bobby's. He's got a hunt for us and can't just relay the specifics over the phone. I'll expect to meet you there in three days so don't goof around."

"Yes, sir," all three Winchester siblings said in unison. They went to work gathering their things, stuffing all of the research work into a separate duffel bag. Within a half an hour, they were loading everything into the trunk of the Impala.

Sam stood next to the Impala, his hazel eyes watching as John talked to Caleb and Joshua. Finally, John slapped each man on the shoulder then moved to his truck. He glanced over and nodded when he met Sam's gaze, then slipped into the truck and started the engine. Sam watched as he pulled out of the motel parking lot and sped off down the road.

"Um, I'm going to say goodbye to Caleb and Josh. I'll be right back," Sam said as he turned to his brothers, both of whom were leant against the side of the sleek, black car watching as John's truck became smaller and smaller on the horizon.

"Sure, Sammy…make it quick though. We've got a long drive ahead of us," Daniel said. The two elder brothers watched Sam walk over to Caleb and Joshua then both opened their respective doors and slid into the front seat, Dean behind the wheel and Daniel in the passenger seat.

Sam walked up to Caleb and Joshua and smiled nervously when they turned their eyes on him. "Um, guys, I…I just want to say how sorry I am for lying to you. I know it was wrong, but I just…I had to find them, you know? I know I've lost your trust and I want you to know that I'm gonna do everything I can to make it up to you," he said, his hazel eyes gazing pleadingly at the men before him.

Caleb stepped forward and cupped Sam's nape. "I'm not gonna lie, Sam…I was pretty disappointed in you, but…I understand why you did it. Just, in the future, trust us a little more, okay? Believe it or not, we kind of know what we're doing," he said.

"I'm sorry. I'll understand if you never forgive me."

Joshua stepped forward and lightly slugged the young man's shoulder. "Nothing to forgive, Sam. Just don't lie to us again…or to your family. We stick together…that's how we all come out of these situations alive and intact…okay?" he said.

Sam nodded as he smiled up at the tall man. "Okay," he answered. "Thanks, Josh."

"You better be for getting along to the monster…looks like Dean's about to leave you behind," Caleb said with a light chuckle. "You take care of yourself, half pint," he added.

Sam smiled and rolled his eyes at his friends. "I'm taller than you, Caleb…not much of a half pint anymore," he said.

"You're always going to be a half pint to me, kid…not get going."

Sam chuckled then waved as he turned around. "See you guys…stay safe," he called as he headed for the Impala.

"You too, Sammy," Caleb called after him. He and Joshua watched as Sam crawled into the back seat of the Impala. Dean glanced over at them and waved before backing away from the motel. He left the two hunters in a cloud of dust as he pulled onto the highway and sped away. Caleb turned to Joshua and smiled. "Those Winchesters are going to be the death of me, I swear," he said with a chuckle and slight shake of his head.

Joshua clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. "You and me both, brother…you and me both," he said before climbing into the passenger seat of Caleb's SUV.

Caleb turned his gaze in the direction the Winchesters had driven off in and sighed. He slid behind the wheel of his rig and started the engine. As he drove away, he said a small prayer that someday the Winchesters would find the peace they so strongly desired, yet always seemed just out of their reach. If anyone deserved it, they did, Caleb thought as he rolled down the window and let the cool desert air wash over his face. His thoughts remained with the Winchesters as the sun rose higher in the sky with the promise of another warm, sunny day.

**THE END**

**Well, that's it. There will be more 3 brothers stories...in case you were wondering :D I've gotten a lot of requests to keep writing them and who I am to deny you all? So, hope you liked it. Keep a look out for my next story...I have quite a few ideas running around in this crazy head of mine :D Take care all.**

**Cindy **


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